Caligo
by Piriluk
Summary: "…then, I'd hate to know what eternity feels like…"—the future, a heavy burden placed on the shoulders of self-doubt. One slip, and the world's saviour would become their enemy. Eventual Rin/Len. REWRITING PLS KILL ME.
1. Prologue

**a/n oh god what am I doing even**

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><p>On the eve of my 13th birthday, Len comes into my room at eleven o'clock at night and perches on the edge of my bed, rapidly shaking me awake.<p>

He hasn't done this since we were six.

"What?" I ask groggily, sitting up. Len grins widely at me, the faint light from my alarm clock illuminating his face.

"Watch this," he tells me, raising his hand. He clicks his fingers, and like a match striking a match box, a flame flickers. But after a few seconds of holding it, he shakes it away, apparently too giddy. He grabs my shoulders and shakes me back and forth. "I can do it. I can do the magic!"

_The magic_, I think grumpily. Mocking his actions, I click my fingers, expecting a flame to come from the tips. But nothing happens. I try once again—and one more time just to make sure. Nothing. I look at Len and he does it again—easy-peasy. My enthusiasm fizzes out quickly.

"Maybe tomorrow," he suggests, noticing my disappointment. "Try again tomorrow. Like, Mum and Dad did say it happens when you're supposed to turn 13." Len reaches out to pat me on the head. "I'm going back to bed. I'm so excited to show them tomorrow. Night, Rin."

He ups and leaves in a high mood, and I sit back staring at my hands. I click my fingers again—nothing.

I'll try again tomorrow. If Len can do it, so can I. It's bound to happen, right?

I lie back down in my bed and stare up at the ceiling.

Again.

_I'm last again._

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><p><strong>caligo<strong>

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><p>I'm just an average girl.<p>

However, for others, that's a different story: I was born into a family of witches and wizards, my parents both being capable of magic.

Human-level magic, aka "Norhsoea" (or whatever), is a skill you're apparently supposed to develop between the age of 12 and 14 (most commonly 13). Such thing happened to my brother, Len—he was blessed with elemental and god-knows-what else considering he's the Gifted Son and all—and yes, as always, such magic skills fell short on my terms.

So here I am. Normal. Average. Human. A talking potato. Completely ironic; even though my parents tell me, "Sometimes it happens,"—why did I have to be the case of the sometimes syndrome?

I would've rather been dead.

So basically, as I said before, we waited and waited and waited for me to develop any magic skills, until that 12-14 leeway age expired and I turned 15, and Len also turned 15, and Len went to magic school because he is the Gifted Son and all, and long story short I was yet again, as has always been, the girl referred to as 'just Len's sister'.

You see, Len has always been magnificent and really great and really popular and really nice… and I have always been one step behind him. I get a subject award for craft or something like that—Len gets the English, Math and Physics award because he's going to be the next Stephen Hawking or something. I get one A on my report card—Len gets straight-A's because he's a freak. I come third in 100m races on the school sport day—Len comes first in every event. I have two friends—Len is friends with the entire grade. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And even though it's so horrible living in the shadow of him; I can't hate him. He's too kind. He always looks out for me, tells me that my small successes are brilliant even when others are showering him with praise for something bigger and better.

I still remember that look he gave me before he went through customs to leave for that 'prestigious' magic school. The one mixed with pity, concern, reassurance—"You'll be alright, Rin. Don't let anyone tell you that you're not great, because you are wonderful," he said.

Will I be alright? I'm stuck at home, left with some miserable, boring, uneventful life to live. I'm not travelling halfway around the planet to then be transported to another world so I can achieve brilliant things. I'm living this awful normal life in the shadows of everyone else.

I'm no such thing as… wonderful.

And I hate it when he looks at me with pity. It makes me feel sick. There's nothing worse than people giving you that sorry look. I can't help it I was born worthless.

Life sucks. It really does.

I don't see Len for over a year—not even on our 16th birthday. Mum says because he's off in the magical realm or whatever-the-heck they call it, it's impossible for him to have any form of contact with us. So… we don't actually know whether he's still alive. I hope he is.

We celebrate my birthday with a small cake and my two closest friends, then I lie in bed and cry for a good two hours because my life still sucks. I feel like I'm stuck in this cage where I'm completely hopeless. I don't know who I am, I don't know what I want to be because I'm talented at nothing—I want to die but I'm too scared of death. I'm scared of what's to come after.

I think sleeping is the only time I'm happy. The only time when all my problems don't exist and I don't have to be me. I can just forget everything and reside in dreams of a world where things were right. A world where I woke up on my thirteenth birthday with magic coursing through my veins, a world where I left with Len to magic school on our fifteenth birthday, a world where I don't spend my sixteenth birthday crying myself to sleep.

A perfect world that only exists in my head.

- END PROLOGUE -

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><p><strong>what am I doing I don't know<strong>

**I'm going to regret this haha crying**

**please review because it's kind and inspiring oke bye 8')**


	2. Chapter 1

**a.n. everyone is asking about the pairings and tbh the pairings won't really matter until later in the fic ^^; sorry. and I don't want to give out too much info because it'll spoil the plot =u='**

**thank you for all the kind reviews, though! it made me really happy seeing them. c:**

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><p><strong>1<strong>

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><p>I'm drowning.<p>

It's hard to explain, though. I know how to swim—I'm swimming—but I'm drowning, like something is pressing me down, not letting me get back up for air.

My lungs are burning; my arms are weak against the current as I'm immersed in black waters—cold and thick like soup. Dots appear as darkness seeps across my peripheral vision as the oxygen I so desperately need is running out. I'm thinking, _this is it, _but then I hear a voice shout over the water rushing in my ears.

"Rin!"

I scream back, my mouth filling up with bitter liquid, gagging me.

"Rin!" A hand reaches down from the surface, like God himself had reached from the sky, and grabs me by my collar, pulling me towards the surface. I hit the harsh air and I fumble to grab their hands, relief rushing over my body.

My eyes reach theirs—meeting an azure gaze—warm, gentle. "Len," I breathe.

He smiles, holding my eyes, but then a strange look washes over his face. He looks down at my hands, his eyebrows meeting in the middle of his forehead. I follow his gaze to see black incantations snaking over my arms and towards Len's hands.

I stop breathing, my mind cracking open as he lets out a cry of pain. "No, no, no, _stop_, no," I'm saying. "No, no! _Please_, no!" I don't know what I'm telling to stop, but I start to feel numb all over, a heaviness setting in my heart.

Len manages to pull me onto the grass beside the rushing waters, trying to release his hands from my grasp, but his face is shrouded in agony as his attempts fail. I want to let go of his hands, but I can't—they're glued there. He whimpers, seemingly paralysed, closing his eyes.

"I trusted you," he whispers, a voice full of hatred. It hits me hard. "Why? _Why?!_"

What did he trust me for? I try to speak, to ask what he means, but my voice is choked up by horror as his skin starts to turn grey and crack—like stone. Tears roll down his face as he casts me a glare of betrayal. I don't understand—what is happening? _What is happening?_

I scream his name, I scream for help, for anything. I scream so loud, I scream, I scream, I scream—

My head snaps back against the wooden floor of my bedroom. Gasping, I sit up, becoming familiar with my surroundings—I must have fell out of bed. I wipe away the cold sweat running down my forehead and stand.

That dream… was horrifying. It's the first nightmare I've had in a while, and it felt so _real_. I glance at the clock to my right—3AM. I still have three hours until I have to get ready for school. Rubbing my sweaty palms on my pants, I sigh and walk towards my bedroom door.

I pause, though, when I reach my mirror, and look up.

A girl looks back at me in the reflection—blonde bed-hair, wide blue eyes and pale skin—me. But that isn't what makes my stomach drop. I step forward, my eyes focusing on the exposed skin. I see faint lines. Patterns, like vines, with a scar-like appearance, twist across my hands, feet and neck. They flash a burnt orange, before disappearing completely.

Realisation sets over me. I look down at my hands—my bare skin, which moments ago was covered in…

No. _No_.

Of all things… it can't be. It can't.

This is just a bad dream, Rin, I tell myself. Just go back to sleep. You're fine. It's fine. It was just a bad dream.

I rub my eyes, nausea rolling over me. A bad dream. I shuffle out of my bedroom and into the hallway.

It's fine. You're okay. Len's okay.

There's nothing wrong.

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><p>When I wake up that morning I temporarily forget what happened last night. My body feels heavy and I feel exhausted, like I hadn't slept at all. However, when I walk past my mirror on the way out I look at myself again and the memories of that dream flood back into my mind.<p>

I cringe, closing my eyes and opening them again, expecting to see the vines across my skin, but I'm met with relief as nothing happens. I look normal… I should be fine, right? But in the back of my mind, there's a niggling sensation telling me that nothing is okay—and it's something I can't easily let out of my head.

At breakfast, Mum asks why I'm yawning so much.

"Bad dream**—**bad sleep," I answer briefly, hoping she won't ask into it.

But she does. "Oh? What about?" she inquires innocently over the newspaper. "To be honest, I remember hearing a bang last night—but I didn't think it would be you."

I poke at my breakfast, my appetite lacking. "Um… I can't remember exactly. It was just really scary—and Len was in it." I pause, squeezing my eyes closed as the images of Len flash through my mind. "I woke up on the floor."

Mum hums in thought. "It's not like you to roll out of bed," she says. "Did you hurt yourself?" She finally looks up from the newspaper to scan me with her eyes. A hazel green—Len and I both have Dad's, which are blue.

I touch the back of my head unconsciously. It's a bit tender. "Yeah, a little," I reply nervously. Mum seems to examine me for a bit longer, before looking back down again. I stare down at my toast and salad, biting my lip. "I'm not really hungry, so I think I might just take a snack and eat it on the way to school." I stand and move my plate over to the kitchen bench, covering it with glad wrap.

Mum presses her lips together, seemingly concerned. "Are you sure you're alright?" She looks up to check over my body, and it's like her eyes are peeling away the layers of my skin.

"Fine," I say hastily, before heading back to my bedroom to get changed. I feel her gaze follow me out of the room.

I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and sigh. There's a heavy feeling in my chest that won't go away and it makes it hard to breathe. I hate lying to my mother, but I hate making her worry about me even more. I don't want to tell her about what I saw last night. I'm scared of how she might react.

I put on my uniform and stare at myself in the mirror, expecting the patterns to be there again. But my skin is just plain and pale—the only marks are from blemishes and the heavy bags under my eyes. I look half-way to death. Nice job, Rin.

Raking a hand through my hair, I step out the front door into the bitter winter air, and gaze out over the courtyard of the apartment block. I'm not one of those people who complain about the cold, much. I like the cold—it's the only time my skin doesn't look like the topping of a pizza.

Mum handed me an apple to eat on the way to school before I left. The thought of sinking my teeth into the sweet fruit makes me feel queasy, however, so I put it in my lunchbox for later and rub my face anxiously.

The snow that fell two days ago is now a sloshy substance at my feet; a dirty dishwater colour tinting it. When it first fell it was really pretty, and for a while I sat at my window watching it fall sleepily over the city. The light from the sun reflected in the flakes and made it look like glitter falling from the stars. It reminded me of the winters Len and I played in the snow. They were a very long time ago, though.

The train station where the train I take to go to school is two minutes' walk from home. I have to walk through the main street, which is decorated with seasonal ornaments and convenience stores, and the train station is right at the end at an intersection.

To get to school, I take three trains: to get to the second train I get off at the third stop, and on the second train I have to wait five stops. The third, however, is only one stop away—I could walk to school from the third stop instead of taking another train, but it takes an extra five to ten minutes, and the intersections around there are busy.

Len and I used to walk to school together, but since he left to have his magic fun in fairyland, I've had to grow used to walking by myself. It isn't nice: it gives me too much time to myself, enough where I almost drown in my thoughts.

After the last train, it's a five minute walk to school. Sometimes I meet my friends at the train station, sometimes not—today is one of those days I don't see them until I reach the school.

My school is a public school; it's (thankfully) much better than most public schools, and it's really, really big. For example, I have Mathematics on the third floor, and then I have to climb to the fifth floor for Japanese History. And get this: we only have stairs. The elevator is strictly disabled people only.

I'm not a fan of school. As I said before—I'm not really academic; Len is. And neither am I really creative or sporty, so I don't stand out in any way. I just get really average scores. And being not smart or sporty doesn't really make me very popular, either—I kind of just cease to exist, really. Anyone who does acknowledge my existence simply refers to me as 'Len's sister' or something like that—it's not like I have a name or anything, you know.

Today, my first period is Biology. I hate it—when we dissect things I always have to sit outside before I pass out. And then when I go back into the classroom afterwards, it smells like guts and dead animal; which is even worse. Second period I have PE—today is dodge ball, so I get hit in the face like, three times. Third period, I have Home Economics—the teacher hates me for whatever reason—I think it's because I always manage to cut or burn myself when we cook and end up having to go to sick bay.

The rest of the day is just as boring, because school in general is about as drab as a brick wall, and one of my friends are away sick so it's just one of my friends and I. The friend here today is called Mayu—we're not _that_ close, and if anything, when our other friend Yuzuki isn't around, it's just really awkward between us.

I don't have club today so I'm let off early—fortunately, or unfortunately.

The heavy feeling from my chest before is still there, and I really wish it'd just go away. I decide to walk to the park near the train station before going home, and sit on the swings to watch other kids from school walk by and disperse in hopes it might lessen if I just relax for a bit. It doesn't, though—if anything, it gets worse.

Eventually, no one is really walking past anymore and the sky is turning pink as the sun starts to disappear behind the mountains in the distance. I check my watch and see it's only four o'clock. Sometimes I forget the days are shorter during winter.

Reluctantly I stand and stretch out my legs, which feel numb from the cold. The winter uniform is stupid: they force us to wear short skirts but don't let us wear thick tights—it's only 'sheer tights allowed' (as if that'd make much difference)—so usually by the time I get home there are icicles forming on my leg hairs. The boy's uniforms are much more forgiving.

I shiver and think back to last night.

As much as I wish I could deny it, the lines on my skin were magic incantations—and they pretty much only occur in… dark magic.

Dark magic, if you didn't already guess from the stupidly cliché name, refers to a variety of forbidden magic that uses the negative energy of the universe's magic source, Aether. Either you're born with dark magic or you learn to use it.

The people or creatures that aren't born into dark magic, but decide to practice it, inevitably become controlled by the dark magic and develop into something we like to call Cadavers. They're like a demon—apparently rumoured to be possessed by an evil soul—and being no longer capable of human-like emotions, lose control over what humanity it had left. Their only motive is _kill, kill, kill_, and are pretty lethal if you run into one. However, Cadavers give off a specific type of radiation which the magic government can detect—and usually once a Cadavers radiation is detected, that's the end of the line. They're then 'exorcised' by professional demon hunters—like they do in horror movies and stuff.

People who are born to dark magic don't end up with _as bad_ an end as Cadavers do—unless you call being inevitably hunted down by the magic government and euthanized a better end. Other normal magic users fear dark magic because it's dangerous—it's sometimes deemed as the _magic of death_—and many of those who successfully developed their dark magic skills in the past became a mass murderer or started wars; consequently a victim of pride and power. So, it's only reasonable that anyone who shows use of dark magic is eradicated, since the rest of the world is terrified of them and all that.

A common giveaway to dark magic is incantations, as I said before. Elven magic uses incantations, but it's only located on the forehead, neck and shoulders—and me, being a somewhat regular human being, can't perform Elven magic, because I'm not Elven. Dark magic covers majority of the body, and when at full power, turns black and 'glows'—_if_ that makes sense. Fresh incantations give off a small amount of similar radiation Cadavers do—which is why the magic government usually finds you before you get too strong.

Additionally, the more you use dark magic, the more the incantations stay and imprint onto your skin, like a stain. It starts with your hands first, the hotspot for where the magic is channelled, and then eventually takes over the entire body. So, by the end, you're like a blinking road sign to the government, yelling, "Hey, over here!"

And so… that's why I didn't want to think about it. It would be hard to believe I'd developed dark magic as my skill overnight, especially since I'm the child of two regular magic users, but it would explain a lot of other things, like my late development or lack thereof—the victim of the 'sometimes' factor.

It hurt my head to think about. Just… Why… _me?_ Why would I have dark magic? I'm so lame and _not_ evil. Was I cursed? I didn't need any more wrong with me as it is—it's already hard enough with what's going on in my life now. How would I tell my parents? _Should_ I tell my parents? Would it just be better to keep quiet and never use it? But I'm not sure… entirely whether it _is_ dark magic. I could've been dreaming, I _hope_ I was only dreaming about it… _but_.

If I want to be sure that I really _have_ somewhat developed dark magic; I would have to use it. And I know that once I try it—there's a chance I won't be able to… be normal. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I have it—I don't know what the rational answer is. Turn myself in? Run away and hide until I die? I don't want to disappoint my parents again, like I've already done so for the last 16 years.

I sigh and crouch down on the grass reluctantly. There's a patch which is sort-of-not-dead, so I focus on that. When I was a kid I read a lot of books about magic—one being dark magic, and it told me a very basic spell—that I thought I'd never use. It's a life-sucking spell; one that dark magic users first developed in ancient times in order to recover quickly in battle.

It's a bit like a HP-Up in a video game, except you have to kill something to get the full effect. There are spells similar to that which are non-dark, where you don't have to kill in order to recover—but it's less… effective, I guess.

I rub my hands over my knees nervously, before kneeling onto the cold ground. I glance around warily to check for people, but the park is empty. Swiftly I hold out my hand above the grass and focus on it.

Before he went off to magic school, Len told me how he did spells one time in the backyard, hoping it could maybe trigger something, but such attempts failed.

"—_feel like you're drawing energy to your palm and imagine it as a ball. Keep it your hand, and silence all other thoughts in your mind. Think of the spell you want to do—think of the results that it will give you, and say it aloud. Then release the energy."_

"_Ducendi_," I whisper.

Almost instantly, heat rushes up my arm. Alarmed, I open my eyes to see the grass patch I've directed my hand at turning brown and parched—and my hand is covered in the tell-tale incantations. I move my hand away quickly and stop the flow, and the incantations fade. There is a very faint pattern, though, in the palm of my hand now, that will most likely stay permanently. Great.

I swallow, fighting the urge to throw up as my worst fears are confirmed. God, God, _God_. Why me? I clench my hand and bring it down onto the ground, like I'm blaming the grass for dying and not myself. I'm at a loss on what to do. Shakily, I stand up and push my hands through my hair.

Was this my punishment for not being happy with what I already had? Was this my punishment for being spoilt and rude and ungrateful? If that's so… the world is awfully cruel.

Sniffing, I wipe my face with the back of my hand and stumble across the park in direction for the train station. I don't know what to do. I don't know. I don't want to go home—I don't want to walk in that door knowing… this. I was hoping that it was all fake, a hallucination, but it wasn't.

I choke back a sob. I'm scared.

And I don't know why it's happening to me. How? How am I using this? The only way I could be using dark magic is if I was actually born with it—it would be different if I could already use Norhsoean magic, but… My parents never said anything about it, if it was a part of the family or in our genes. I'm sure they would tell me if it was a possibility, but they didn't. What am I going to do? What am I going to _do?_ What's wrong with me? Why did this have to happen to _me? _I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared.

I bury my face into my scarf in an attempt to hide my tears from the people surrounding as I walk into the train station, hoping no one notices and tries talking to me.

At the same time, the pieces start to fall into place. The dream was a sign. Once you become of age for dark magic, you either get a vision or a dream or it 'reveals' itself some way or another. 16-18 are the "ages"—and I just turned 16 three weeks ago. That explains why I never developed Norhsoean magic. It makes sense in _some_ ways—others it doesn't, and it makes my head hurt.

I don't get onto the train that takes me home—I get one that takes me further into the city. I need more time to think. Maybe I could just somehow hand myself over… and save seeing the disappointment on my parents' faces.

Just… if I don't show at home tonight… what will my parents do? Will they file a missing person's report? Wait for me? I push that thought down, guilt rising in my chest as an image of Mum sitting at home on the couch waiting for me to walk through the door flashes through my mind. And God—what would Len think, of all people? His crazy opinion that I'm wonderful would certainly change.

I look at the palm of my hand again. The incantation spirals from the middle of my palm, before fading just as it reaches the beginning of my wrist. It's surrounded by short, straight lines, so it reminds me a little of a cartoon sun that kids would draw in the corners of the paper. Nevertheless, the more I use magic, the more noticeable it will become and the more it'll spread up my arm. It looks innocent… but it casts fear in the hearts of others.

Uneasy, I shove my hand into my blazer pocket and sigh to myself. I switch trains onto the Toei Asakusa line, and get off at Asakusa, deciding I'd gone far enough. It's dark, now, and the city is illuminated with lights that twinkle above my head. I feel like the tall buildings could almost swallow me up. A breeze blows from the river and I shiver, wrapping my arms tighter around myself.

My phone vibrates a few times in my pocket—I don't check who it is, but it could be Mum asking where I am. I look at my watch on my wrist, reading it's five to five. If I went straight home from school, I would've been home forty minutes ago.

I start to cry again.

Of course, the dark hides that. I look down at my feet as I shuffle along the sidewalk towards the bridge that crosses over Sumida River. Before Len went away, he and I came to Asakusa and ate at one of the ice-cream stalls at the Buddhist temple. I miss then. I miss any time before now. The days when things were… normal. Somewhat.

I reach the centre of the bridge and stop to look out over the river. The skyscrapers' reflections on the water ripple as a small tour boat rolls past, and on my left I could see what people called _The Golden Turd _on top of the Asahi Beer Building. It glows against the twinkling streets of Tokyo, like a sign of hope.

Hope which I don't have.

Thoughts start to reel through my head. I wonder if I could just end it here. Just throw myself over the edge and be done with it—no one's watching, no one would notice. Everyone else is too busy being occupied with their own lives. I step onto the lower part of the railing and lean over further, feeling the cold air bite at my cheeks.

I could fall into the dark waters and drown, just like my dream.

Closing my eyes, I grip harder onto the railing, bracing to swing my leg over to the other side. I don't know what possesses me to do this—but at this moment, it feels right. It feels _good_. Like, yeah, I should probably die. It would solve a lot of my problems.

However, someone grabs my elbow before I can even get over the railing. "Miss?"

Startled, I back down, thinking it's a police officer. But when I turn to look at them, it isn't—it's a boy, probably a year or two older than me—tall and lean with dark blue hair. His cheeks are slightly pink from the cold and he's dressed in all black; not a school uniform.

"Yes?" I answer nervously, as other possibilities start to run through my mind. What happens if he's part of the magic government, and he detected my incantations and followed me here? What happens if he's a rapist and he's about to kidnap me to take back to his apartment?

His eyebrows furrow slightly like he's trying hard to think. "You weren't contemplating over jumping off there, were you?" he asks.

"N-no," I say quickly. If I admitted to that, he could take me to the police and God knows what would happen then.

The boy frowns. "You were," he insists. "If I didn't stop you just then, you would fall to your death."

He's… kind of creeping me out. How would he be so sure about me 'falling to my death'? I _could_ survive… barely.

"I was just… you know. Being stupid," I lie, taking a step back anxiously, ready to run. There's something _off_ about him but I can't pinpoint what exactly, and it's giving me a headache just trying to figure it out.

"You're lying," he says. I notice his eyes, previously a dark blue, flash a brilliant cyan. Immediately it hits me, then, as I realise. I swallow, looking down—in one of the books I read, one of the sections that broke down the different types of Norhsoean magic… that means he—"…Can read minds? Yes." I pause. He just finished my sentence.

I look back up at him, alarmed, and he smiles thinly, his eyes reverting back to their regular colour. "So you can't lie, because I know what you were thinking just then."

I lick my lips. If he can read my mind, I can't… do anything. At all. Because he would know what I wanted to do next. "What are you going to do about it, then?" I ask carefully, "You know, if I throw myself over the edge? You can't _stop_ me."

The boy raises his eyebrow in amusement. "Well, yes, it's _your_ choice but I'd prefer you'd not," he answers slyly. "Sixteen is such a young age… you've only lived such a small part of your life."

He knows my age, too? Not just a mind reader, but he has multiple psychic abilities. Rare. Then he would know… probably about _that_…

"What's there to live if you're doomed to die anyway? All I ever do is disappoint everybody," I state glumly, chewing the inside of my cheek. "If you can read my mind then you'll get why I'm trying to off myself. In fact, I'm not even sure why you're stopping me from doing it."

"I'm not afraid," he begins, holding up a finger, "of suicidal teenage girls with low self-esteem and a bit of death magic up their sleeves. I could relate quite closely to that, really, minus the teenage girl part." He grins to himself, before taking a step forward and reaching out to my forehead.

I try to move away. "What are you—"

As soon as his fingers make contact with my temple, Asakusa melts away to be replaced with a small room. A tiny, blue-haired boy sits in the corner, huddled, sobbing into his knees. A figure stalks past where I'm standing towards him with their hand raised.

"_Demon! Demon child!_" the figure—now revealed as a middle-aged man—yells, hitting the infant. The little boy cries out in pain, doubling over as the man lands slaps and punches onto his body. Watching it makes me feel sick—what on Earth is this weird guy trying to show me?

A woman comes running in on the sounds of screaming and crying—she has a beautiful face, and blue-hair similar to the boy's, too. She pulls the man away from the child, yelling, "Stop! Stop!" and the man turns to her abruptly, slapping her across the face. His eyes are almost red with rage. Like she reads his mind, the lady falls silent, her expression changing to one of fear, and she turns to the boy, crippled on the floor, sobbing. "Run! Kaito, run, _run and never come back!_"

The man pulls out a knife from his pocket as the little boy obediently crawls across the floor to the door. He raises the knife on the woman, unbeknownst to the boy escaping, and—

The room melts away before I can see anymore, now being replaced with a school corridor. Surrounding me are middle school students, bustling around and laughing with their friends. I notice the same boy ahead walking down the hallway alone, huddled in on himself, now obviously a middle schooler.

A student runs out from the side and shoves him onto the ground, and several others turn their heads and laugh at the boy. "Freak!" he yells, kicking the boy in the stomach. "You're a _freak!_ I know what you do, you monster—you manipulate people with your creepy powers. That's why your parents didn't want you!"

The corridor erupts into mean laughter, so strong I can feel it rattle through my bones. The boy stays on the ground, unmoving, a lost look on his face. Realisation dawns on me—this is the guy I'm talking to right now. This was his childhood?

I blink and I'm back in Asakusa once again, standing next to the boy. He looks at me expectantly as he draws back his hand, and raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"So… you're Kaito?" I question.

He nods. "Correct. And you're Rin, am I right?"

"Right." I feel uncomfortable knowing he could read my mind—and god knows what else.

Kaito smiles at me and winks. "Don't worry. I only read people's minds when I have to. I don't do it for the sake of enjoyment and embarrassment of the person."

I laugh nervously. "_Right_." I pause to think. "So you're one of the infamous psychics that people seem to dread running into? It's the first time I've met one in real life," I state.

He scratches the back of his head. "Oh, _totally_. As you could see, I was _so popular_ in school due to my unwanted talents, and that's why I dropped out and joined a yakuza for a year before almost getting killed."

I feel my eyes widen in surprise. "A yakuza? You don't seem like the type to be interested in that." Kaito shrugs, as if saying, _it surprised me too_.

My phone vibrates again, three times, shaking me back to reality, and I look around, suddenly remembering we're still in Asakusa. Above all that… Mum could be still waiting for me to go home. Trying to distract myself from those thoughts, I force myself to continue the conversation—"So I'm guessing mind reading isn't your only skill?" I ask.

Kaito sighs. "You guessed right. Apart from mind reading, I can make people see my memories—like I did to you before—and see the memories of another person. That's how I know your name." Oh. So he probably knows all my deep, dark secrets. That's not very comforting. "Additionally, I can see the future, but I don't really trust what it tells me long-term because… the circumstance could change."

"Is that why you said that I would die when I jumped over? Because at that current moment if I jumped then all circumstances would lead to my inevitable death?" I query.

"Yep," Kaito says, grinning. "But now, you don't die in the next five minutes—which is an improvement."

Just a little, I want to ask what else my future had for me at this moment, but at the same time I'm afraid of what would happen, so I decide against it. I laugh and turn away to look back over the river.

It would probably be about six right now… but I still don't want to go home. I _never_ want to go home, yet I still long to go home, normal, like nothing happened. That wouldn't happen, though. I'm so… scared.

Kaito steps up beside me and leans his back against the railing. "Say," he begins, and I look at him, "there are other people like you and me." He pauses to look at me and I cock an eyebrow, as if to say, _go on_. He looks away. "There's a handful of us that all hang together, we're kind of like a family—because most of us don't have family, or life, to go home to."

I remember the man and the woman from Kaito's memories—could they have been his parents?

"If you're still hesitant about going home, you could stay with us for a while. It's a nice crowd and we're all about the same age—uh, well, some of us," he offers, scratching his chin nervously. "We all kind of found each other with the same dreams about death and the regrets about the gifts we've been born with. That sort of stuff. I dunno—it's up to you. It's just… we've decided to come together against the shit people throw at us for having certain abilities. And I'm pretty sure the others would love to meet you."

Looking down at my hands, I bite my lip, thinking carefully. "Could I stay just for a night?" I ask quietly. "Until I can think clearly a little bit. I just… I'm scared of them. I'm scared because I don't want to be the failure I've already become—I don't want to see the fear or disappointment on their faces when I come home and show them my hand—I don't want him to…" _Len_. Even though he doesn't live here, in this same world, I'm sure news would travel if I returned home as a dark magic user—and he's the last person I want to know about this.

I don't want to disappoint Len; the only person who seems to have put faith in such a pathetic being like me.

Kaito smiles. "I understand. It's totally cool," he says, clamping a hand on my shoulder. "You can stay as long and whenever you like, you know."

I still don't know whether this is the right choice or not. How could I trust someone I just met? But… it's not like I've got anything to lose. "Thank you," I murmur.

"No worries," he replies, standing upright and putting his hands into his jacket's pockets. "I was just out getting some dinner for everyone, so we'll do that then head back. I hope you don't mind."

I shake my head and move to his side. "It's fine."

We walk a few metres in silence, as I continue to dwell over whether this was a correct move, before Kaito nudges me with his elbow. "It's okay. I don't like younger girls," he tells me in a low voice, before giving a side glance and winking.

I feel my face heat up—_obviously_ he must've heard my anxious thoughts on whether he could be leading me to his rape dungeon or not. I sigh and look away, but not with one last request:

_…stop reading my mind, please._

* * *

><p><strong>yakuza <strong>are Japanese gangs if you were too lazy to google.

**Asakusa **is a really cool place and when I went there I had grape-flavoured soft ice-cream and it was _amazing_. Japanese food is just amazing full stop.

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><p><strong>this is soooo boring and terribly paced cries/**

**if you actually made it this far... you're wonderful and ily. sobs**

**if you're ever wondering what all these random non-English words are just ask me. (honestly they're just latin words I got off google translate or words I made up haha/sweats nervously)**

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><p><strong>ples review! also because having reviews to look at when I'm feeling crummy and uninspired makes it so much easier to get my creative juices running.<strong>

**VVVVV**


	3. Chapter 2

**a.n. here's chapter two! thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and follows, I was surprised I managed to get so many ;v;**

**just a question... do you guys like the chapters long (4,000-6,000), or would you prefer them shorter? this one's slightly shorter than the previous chapter because I felt it wrapped up nicely the way it was, but do you think they're a bit too long the way they are? should I focus on making them moreso 2,000-3,000 words? or are longer chapters better? let me know! :,)**

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><p><strong>2<strong>

The apparent group of people Kaito calls his family all reside in a small suburban house in Kamata, on the opposite side of Tokyo to where I live. It's two storeys, and by what Kaito describes, there seems to be about four people total, Kaito included, who live there or at least are present frequently.

We buy a crap-load of cheap things from one of the convenience stores near Asakusa: a couple of onigiri, a six-packet of daifuku and several cups of ramen noodles. While I am watching Kaito place these onto the bench for the shop assistant to scan, he turns to me and says, "We have to keep the budget low, otherwise Meiko will potentially rip out my neck."

"Who's Meiko?" I ask.

"She's the money maker," he explains, before leaning in to add quietly, "she's a prostitute, and she's usually a nice person when she isn't drunk."

I nod slowly, amused. "Oh."

Kaito sighs. "If we spend too much she'll get pissy because she can't buy her sake," he continues, placing the money onto the counter. "And then she'll try to kill me. Hence, _try_." He taps his head and wiggles his eyebrows, and I guess that he uses his psychic abilities to avoid being masticated.

By the time we reach Kamata, it's almost eight o'clock. I wonder if my parents had called the police in desperation yet. My throat feels tight whenever I think of the stress my parents would be going through—so I just—I try to block it out. Nothing works though. Nothing can stop me from feeling so guilt-ridden.

Kaito must notice my silence, because he nudges me and smiles gently. "It's okay," he tells me.

"What happens if they find me?" I question.

As if to be of reassurance, Kaito's eyes flash cyan and he stares ahead for a moment, before he says, "They won't."

I bite my bottom lip in thought. The heavy feeling in my chest—it's weighing me down. This morning it felt like maybe an apricot seed—but now it feels like a bowling ball.

Kaito slows down as we turn into a smaller street, dimly lit and completely still. "Here," he indicates, stopping in front of a plain, white house. One light is on upstairs, and the curtain to the upstairs window moves slightly as if someone had been looking out just before.

We stride up to the door and Kaito lifts his hand to press the doorbell, but a green-haired girl beats him to it—swinging open the door and shooting towards Kaito at an inhuman speed. "Oh," he says, his reaction delayed. "I didn't see _that_ coming."

The green-haired girl takes the bag from his hand and digs through it, almost like a pig digging out its food from the soil. "No carrots?" she complains, her face scrunching up in displeasure, before taking a cup of ramen noodles from the bag and handing it back to Kaito.

"Not enough money," Kaito reasons tiredly.

The girl sighs, apparently frustrated, and notices my presence, finally. "Who's this?" she asks. She eyes me suspiciously. I raise an eyebrow in response.

"Oh, her?" Kaito responds casually, digging out a cup of ramen noodles for himself. "Gumi, this is Rin. She's going to be staying for the night." He turns to me. "Rin, this is Gumi. She got kicked out of home when she was 13 because her parents were both normal and she could grow weeds out of her nose, so now she lives with us."

Gumi glares at Kaito, before turning to me and holding her hand out. She smiles for the first time in the last three minutes. "Hi Rin," she says, as I awkwardly take her hand to shake it. "You don't have to worry much about me—I'm pretty harmless when it comes to magic."

Kaito pulls a face, before announcing, "Rin has recently discovered she's capable of dark magic, much to her demise, so she's harmless for now, at least." He winks at me and I frown.

"Ooh," Gumi says with mock-fear, "sounds dangerous." I don't think Gumi really knows much about dark magic—I just get the feeling she's kind of naïve when it comes to the topic.

Kaito opens his mouth to say something else, but is cut off by a shrill woman's voice coming from inside the house. "Hurry up out there will you? The cold air is coming in and these shitty heaters do nothing!"

Both of them cast each other nervous looks, before Gumi disappears back inside. Kaito looks back at me and rolls his eyes. "Meiko," he murmurs, as if warning me. I swallow and force a sheepish laugh.

I follow after him as he strides in through the front door. Inside it's slightly warmer—thank God. Kaito closes the door behind me and we slip off our shoes and hang our coats on a coat rack next to the door. He offers me the plastic bag before we get any further. "It's best you get in quick so you can eat what you want," he states.

I decide on onigiri. "Are you sure? That's not really… meal-worthy," he comments, frowning.

"I'm not that hungry," I tell him.

Kaito gives me a worried glance, before turning away to go upstairs. "If you insist," he says over his shoulder. I look down at the onigiri in my hand. I still have that apple from this morning, too, but I'm not sure whether it'd be appropriate to pull it out whenever and start munching on it.

I continue upstairs after Kaito. It's a narrow staircase that I feel it'd be more convenient climbing up on my hands and knees rather than walking up. Upstairs, there's a kitchen, lounge room and bathroom all squished in together. Gumi and Kaito stand in the kitchen talking amongst themselves, and a woman with short brown hair who looks to be about mid-20s is sprawled across the couch. She must be Meiko.

On cue, a man walks out of the bathroom to my left—he has lengthy purple hair tied back in a top-knot-like do on his head, and looks to be maybe late 20s/early 30s. He walks straight past me, oblivious to my existence. I stand back nervously, unsure of what to do.

"Can you tell the little girl to stop standing in the doorway and to make herself useful?" Meiko grumbles from the lounge. I take that as a hint for me to move, and step away from the door to sidle towards the kitchen, where Kaito and I exchange vexed looks. "Did you leave any money, Kaito?"

Kaito clears his throat. "Yes, I did," he answers.

Meiko sighs. "Good."

He turns to me to whisper in my ear. "She's drunk. Try to stay out of the way." I nod, giving him a confused look, but he just grins uneasily.

"I heard that," Meiko then remarks—her head is turned away. Kaito gulps. She lifts a hand and beckons me forward with a slim hand and bright red, pointed fingernails. "Come here, demon. I only eat little children, so there's nothing to worry about."

My senses tell me that she isn't exactly… human. I shuffle cautiously over to the lounge room and stand about two metres away from her—enough to give me a head start, if anything were to go wrong. When I see her eyes—blood red with cat-like irises—and pale, almost grey, skin, my suspicions are confirmed: she's a vampire.

I'm not really a fan of them, being accustomed to the horror stories Dad used to tell Len and I when we were kids.

She licks her lips, swirling her glass of what looked like to be rice wine. "Hmm, yes," she says, apparently satisfied with what she sees. "You'll be pretty when you're older. Right now you look like to stuck your face in a vat of boiling teenage hormones."

"…Thanks?" I answer, unsure of how to take that compliment—or insult. I edge backwards slightly, cautious.

Meiko smiles, showing a row of pearly, white teeth. Seemingly harmless. "It's alright, dear. I'm a low-rank vampire—the only bites I give are love bites." She laughs at her joke. "What's your name?"

"Rin."

"Your _full_ name," she corrects.

I frown. "Um… Rin Kagamine."

She looks away to wistfully glance up at the ceiling. "Ah… Kagamine. Now _that's_ a familiar name. Back in the day I fought alongside a young boy in the Great Vermillion War with the surname Kagamine. He was certainly the dreamy type. Good with a sword, too." She winks at me.

…Right. She's probably old enough to have had sex with my great, great, great, great grandfather. Kaito starts laughing from the kitchen on signal, and I'm guessing he read my mind. Again. Meiko casts a glare in his direction.

"So what brings a poor dear like you here today?" she inquires, sitting upright. She takes a sip of the sake and a look of pleasure fills her face. I never knew vampires could drink alcohol, but… you learn new things every day. "Necessarily, what unfortunate event happened to you?"

I grind my teeth together, hesitant, before holding out my palm. The imprint is still there, as much as I wish it wasn't. "Oh?" Meiko says, leaning forward to examine it. Then she grins widely, almost maniacally, and starts chuckling. "Well, well—you're going to cause a bit of trouble, I see."

"I don't know much," I explain, as if it'd make me sound any less dangerous. "And I don't understand why it's happening to me of all people, considering both my parents are normal Norhsoean users, and my twin brother also developed Norhsoean magic."

Meiko clicks her tongue thoughtfully. "Well, I'd offer to read your blood but you're so small you'd probably die on my attempt. So I won't, for now." Well… that's the best news I've heard in like, 16 years. She sweeps her eyes across the room to Kaito and Gumi, who have their backs to us. "Stop sniggering, you imbeciles."

The duo straighten up.

"Seeing as you've already got the beginning of your incantation, it's best you're cautious," she tells me. "As you probably already know, the Kalhan and their technology has advanced enough to detect the presence of dark magic from great distances—I wouldn't be surprised if they turned up in less than 48 hours."

The Kalhan is the proper name for the government that no one really bothers to use—it was derived from the names of the first six kings of the magic world back in 10,000 BCE or whatever. Heaven's know what those names are—the magic government was developed several millenniums ago, and I was just a twinkle in my ancestor's, _ancestor's_ eye, then. (And I'm pretty sure _no one_ knows.)

Kaito clears his throat from the kitchen to catch our attention. "I don't predict anything so far—so they're not on your trail yet," he tells me—or well, us.

Meiko sighs, rolling her eyes. "I don't trust your brain, Kaito," she responds tiredly, before turning back to face me. "Anyway, when that time comes, we'll try to throw a spanner in the works and buy you a bit more freedom, hey?" I smile nervously. "I have a feeling you could be useful."

Useful… for what?

I look at Kaito questioningly to see if he knows anything about it, but he has his back turned again. I bite my lip. "Okay… thanks."

She smiles, before turning back to scull the rest of her sake.

* * *

><p>I find out later that the purple-haired man is called Gakupo, and he's a shape shifter and illusionist. He appears to be awfully quiet and awkward and reads a lot, so I don't really get the opportunity to speak to him. But as Kaito says, "It's mainly Meiko you need to be worried about."<p>

Meiko isn't… _as_ bad as I thought. When I ask Gumi about her, what she meant by 'low-grade' or whatever, Gumi explains that Meiko _apparently_ is hemophobic and refuses to drink blood. That's right—a vampire with a fear of blood. However, she says that I should still tread carefully, because she _has_ killed a couple of people.

"She doesn't drink blood from what we _see_—she can eat normal food, you know, being low-rank her body can miraculously still digest potato chips and stuff, even though I'd never really heard of that before—but there's no guaranteeing she could be preparing us for some 500-year-anniversary vampire feast or whatever," she mentions while filing her nails. "I'd like to _trust_ that isn't Meiko's idea though."

I nod. "Yeah."

Gumi stops to inspect her nails, before turning back to me. "So… what about you?" she asks. "What's your _story?_ Seeing as Kaito's so apparently confidential on the memories he sees without even asking." She rolls her eyes.

I laugh, stretching my legs out across the ground in front of me. Gumi leant me some pyjamas—they're a tad bit too big on the chest area, though. "I dunno… I only turned 16 a few weeks ago. I thought I was, you know, unlucky and a normal human being until well… today, I guess. I'm even unluckier," I state.

"You have a brother, right?" she inquires, opening a bottle of bright orange nail polish. "Kaito mentioned something about you having a brother."

"Oh… yeah. Len. He's my twin," I say. "We're _so_ different, though. Like, we're both on two different wavelengths, I guess. He's perfect, attractive, talented, popular—whatever. When he turned 13 he developed his magic, and now he's attending some high-status magic school over in the other world."

Gumi takes my left hand and starts painting my nails casually. "Gee, I wish I could go to a magic school," she mumbles. "They're too expensive though. I wish I had caring, supportive parents—or at least ones that knew what the hell magic was." She frowns.

"Tell me more?" I feel like Kaito's explanation was too brief and biased so… I want to know the real story.

She looks at me and sighs exasperatedly. "As soon as I turned thirteen my powers pretty much started to show," she begins. "Actually, they were uncontrollable and I didn't know what was happening to me—for some reason my presence around plants had the same effect the sun had and things started growing like crazy. Finally, I got the courage and I showed my parents one day—they freaked and were convinced I wasn't their real daughter—that she'd been swapped with an alien, and told me to leave.

"So I left and lived on the streets for about four weeks, before I met Meiko and Gakupo, and they took me in, explaining everything about my talents. I later found out that one of my grandparents had similar abilities—but they died before I developed my powers. That was four years ago." She smiles bitterly at me. "I haven't seen my parents since. I hate them for what they did."

"I'm sorry it had to be that way," I say.

Gumi shrugs and moves onto my right hand. "Life is cruel, I'm afraid."

"Indeed it is." I look at the orange nail polish on my left hand, a different colour from what I'd usually pick—it's bright and angry looking—but I kind of like it. "It reminds me of carrots," I tell Gumi.

She laughs. "I like carrots."

I smile at her.

I hear a snort from the doorway and look up to see Kaito standing there, sniggering at us. "Can I get my nails painted too?" he asks in a stupid mock-girl voice, stalking into the room and wagging his fingers at us.

Gumi screws up her nose. "No way. Not orange—blue and orange? Yuck."

He pouts and sits on the ground across from us. "I just want to hang out with the _gals_," he says. He grabs Gumi's bag of nail polish from her left and digs through it, before pulling out a dark blue. "Can I use this?"

Gumi looks at the colour, before snorting and rolling her eyes. "Go ahead," she says. Then, she turns to me. "He's such a dweeb. Don't you think?"

"Certainly special," I comment, eyeing him as he starts messily slopping the paint onto his hands.

She giggles, before holding out my hand from her face to look at her work. "You know what? Orange really suits you. It should be your signature colour. Like, when you're off stabbing people and stuff, you should wear orange and call yourself _The Dark Orange_."

"I think I would have to get counselling if I killed anyone, Gumi," I say honestly. "But it's a pretty cute colour, I guess."

She grins at me brightly, before turning away to paint her own nails. "Feel free to use it whenever you like. If you're going to do some killing, might as well do it fashionably."

I smile nervously. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>10 o'clock is lights out. It's hard for me to get off to sleep, however, even though I'm exhausted. Gumi and I share the front room downstairs, while Gakupo and Kaito sleep in the room next door. Meiko apparently sleeps upstairs by herself—or, well, maybe she doesn't sleep at all.<p>

I can't stop thinking about my parents. It's plaguing my mind. I stare up at the white ceiling, the gap in the curtains allowing the streetlight to illuminate the room. I feel homesick; in this nonsensical way, and for some reason, I really miss Len. Even though I'm terrified about his reaction to my development—if he finds out—I want to run crying to him and beg him to make everything better with his kind words.

I've never thought such thoughts like that before.

What happens if I wake up to my end, tomorrow? If I wake up to have to go home? Home. It's a word which fills my heart with warmth, but makes my stomach turn with unease. I _want_ to go home—but not as _me_.

And I keep thinking… why _me_, though? I just… It doesn't make sense. I don't seem like the kind of person who would use dark magic—I'm small, I'm flawed, and I'm hopelessly weak. These people in the past who were born with these dangerous powers were manipulative or selfish, or cruel and cold-hearted—I'm not like that, am I?

Or… is it possible I could become consumed by my powers, to inevitably be all those things? Will someday I be capable of hurting all the ones I love in such a brutal and uncaring manner? The thought makes my chest hurt.

Eventually, after tossing and turning and worrying a little bit more, I go upstairs to go to the bathroom. I notice Meiko is on the couch still, unmoving—not breathing because she's dead, obviously. Once I'm done, I carefully go to walk back downstairs, but Meiko abruptly snaps her head around from her current position to look at me.

I feel myself freeze as her eyes fix onto my body, seeing her tense up, but she relaxes once she realises it's only me. Meiko stands for the first time tonight, her build thin, yet curvy—her body looks like it's been sculpted by years of wearing corsets—and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. She wears a short, red dress that hugs her hips, and a long faux fur scarf is draped around her neck and down her body. The outfit makes me feel kind of uncomfortable, but, you know, _prostitutes_.

She flicks on the light and I squint, temporarily blinded. "Unable to sleep?" she asks. Her eyes scrutinise me. "You seem anxious."

I laugh lightly, nervously, pressing my palms down against my thighs. "Yeah," I breathe. "A little."

"You worry too much," she says, "about little things, my dear. Why is that?"

I bite my lip. "Why else?"

She tilts her head, her eyes creasing a little in concentration, as if she's looking past my clothes—my skin—to the inside of my body. "Kaito told me briefly that you seem highly concerned over the thoughts of your parents and your brother," she states. "He thinks that you put yourself down lower than what you actually are."

"I…" I trail off, hesitating. I squeeze my eyes shut. "…But I'm so useless. I'm a burden to everyone. I'm a burden to my parents… and Len… All I want to do is make them proud of me doing something incredible for once. But that won't happen. Everything just keeps getting worse."

Meiko is silent, like she's calculating something in her mind. "You set your standards too high." She strides past me calmly, grabbing a wine glass from the cabinet above her head and filling it up with sake. She takes a sip and swishes it around her mouth, before swallowing. "You set your goals at an impossible level, knowing it's not possible, yet you still are disappointed when you can't achieve it—and that disappointment and desperation to become something that you're not overshadows the things you truly are good at."

I open my mouth to say something, but realise I have nothing to say.

"I believe you should have nothing to worry about," she utters. "Perhaps, yes, you could have the potential threat of being killed by the government but… that's it. Your parents and your brother—Len—would be concerned for you, if anything. If you were crazy—killing people, feeding off your somewhat unlimited power—it would be different."

"I'm afraid of hurting them, though," I whisper. "Who says I won't end up doing that, anyway?"

Meiko stalks back towards the dining table and takes a seat at it, so she's sitting across from where I'm standing. "The people who all end up as criminals are the people who don't worry, Rin." She casts her gaze across the room to the window, propping her elbows up and lacing her fingers together to rest her chin upon. "The worst thing you could do is let fear control you. Fear is what drives people insane."

I let her words sink in, staring down at the floorboard beneath my feet.

"We're scared of things that we're not sure of, though," she tells me. "And this is new to you. It's a threat to you. But you'll learn to accept it. Not everyone who uses dark magic follows a path of murder and bloodlust. The Kalhan simply only want people to think that way, so they can control us and keep authority."

Meiko turns her head to smile at me, her eyes half-lidded. "When I was younger, before a lot of the rules against dark magic were introduced, I had many friends who used it—many who were born into it. It was about as typical as Norhsoean magic." She runs her finger along the rim of her wine glass. "One of the very first kings used dark magic, born into it, and nobody cared. It is only dangerous if you let it be. All different kinds of Norhsoean magic, or Elven magic, vice versa can be dangerous too and kill too, aren't I right?"

Silent, I nod. She's… right.

"So… is it really worth all the worry?" she asks. I chew the inside of my mouth, scanning the floor. "Rin, you have one of the most powerful kinds of magic at your fingertips. You have the potential to be strong and to show others _the truth_. That's why I said you could be useful. You could help others—save the world. You don't have to become what everyone else fears, because that isn't you."

Meiko stands, the chair scraping against the floor loudly. I cringe, but she ignores the harsh sound and strides over to me. She places her hands on either of my shoulders and bends over so she's at eye level. "Rin, there's true evil out there right now," she says. "A force none of us are expecting to come. Yet all the psychics who can see the future are forecasting it—a great war. Devastation, death, the falling of humanity and everything else. The government is trying to cover it up, saying it's nothing—but…" She falters. "It's the first time, in the total 5000 years that I have lived, that globally so many people have predicted simultaneously an event like this. I'm worried, Rin. I'm honestly worried—and I'm not a person to worry."

She leans forward so that's she's only a breath away from my face. "This," she hisses, a face with true solemnity, "is not good."

* * *

><p>I don't know whether talking to Meiko made me feel better or worse.<p>

Before I went back to bed, she stopped me and said, "Kaito told me he saw you in one of his visions a while ago. I say I don't trust Kaito's fortunes, but he's been having the same visions over and over about this stuff, alongside millions of other psychics—and when he brought you home, I knew instantly that…" She paused. "I know it's crazy to say this, but Rin, there's something about you that will—you being here could possibly _save_ us. I have a feeling you're… something extraordinary."

Once she'd finished talking, I was silent for a while—she let me go back to bed eventually without having me answer, probably getting the gist that I was a little overwhelmed. I really thought that the alcohol was starting to get to Meiko, honestly. Something extraordinary? Here to save them? She's a _nutter_, that's for sure.

I couldn't stop thinking about this end-of-the-world prophecy though—no matter how ridiculous it sounded. If it really was true… God, but it sounded so stupid. I wondered if the others were all into it—I _hope_ not.

When I went back to my room and crawled into my futon, Gumi was awake, sitting up and looking out the window. As soon as I had lain down, she'd said, "Meiko is crazy, I know. I don't know whether whole evil taking over the world thing is true, though. Kaito showed me—but I just… I don't want to believe it." She'd looked back at me. "Don't lose sleep over it. It's not going to happen soon, if anything. Just—when they mention it, play along."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "I don't even want to think about that stuff anyway."

"Yeah." Gumi had fallen silent. "Rin… I agree that you're powerful, though."

"Huh?" _These people are _all_ nutters_, I thought.

Gumi moved—drawing the curtains shut and sliding back into her futon. "There's something about you that seems…" she paused and exhaled. "I don't know. You just have a powerful aura or whatever. It's hard to explain."

I had laughed softly into my pillow.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

I hesitated. "…No."

Gumi didn't say anything after that, and a few minutes later, she was snoring softly.

* * *

><p><strong>what do you think? (insert thirty more question marks because ffnet won't let me)<strong>

**I know Meiko seems a little crazy towards the end ahhh but she's not supposed to be crazy, maybe a little bit forthcoming though. I don't want to make her cliché sparkly vampire desu but I thought it'd be funny to make a vampire fearful of blood. hghgh**

**uhhhh I will go deeper into Meiko/Gakupo's history as the story goes on and explain more about Gumi's powers so yepyep. and Len doesn't really get a role yet, because he's off studying and expanding his brains and becoming Stephen Hawking. Miku also gets a role in the story, but she won't be showing up too soon either.**

**oh and yes, Rin is totallythe messiah she's come to stroke the faces of her people. 8) #magicalgirldesu #runawayfromhome #endoftheworld**

**oh yeah! I have a poll on my profile as well. you should vote it... bc idk. I just want to hear your opinions/shot**

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><p><strong>also a note that I won't update as frequently and regularly as I'm doing atm from now on for a while because a) school is back: it's demanding and makes me want to cry, and b) we're hosting my teacher aid for Japanese ('<em>sensei lives at my house desu!<em>' a bibliography) for a month and I won't be allowed to waste my life on technology. **

**I will _try_ to work around that by writing my chapters by hand/at school during lunchbreaks because I really don't want to abandon this story so? I might get updates up every week or two weeks? (cries)**

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><p>a special thank you to <strong>Guest, EvelynRainshal, PiscesAquamarine12, OOOH, mirrors02, Ilatan<strong> and **Crystal Power** for reviewing the last chapter, I was really happy to hear your feedback and ily guys, we should all get married.

**please leave a review on your thoughts! I really enjoy hearing from you :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**wOW I HAVEN'T ABANDONED THIS STORY OK I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH LIFE AND BEING RIN KAGAM- (AHEM) AND I GOT A LITTLE UNINSPIRED ON THE WAY BUT HERE IS MY UNFORGIVABLE SHORT APOLOGY FOR MY BAD BADNESS. what.**

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><p><strong>3<strong>

I decide to stay another day, procrastinating having to see my parents again.

Thankfully Meiko doesn't mention anything else about the _I-saw-you-saving-the-world-in-the-future_ thing. She isn't at home for most of the time, anyway; and Kaito is apparently applying for jobs, so he's scarce as well. It's just Gumi, Gakupo and I.

Gakupo, however, shuts himself in his room and doesn't communicate with us at all either (Gumi tells me he's just extremely shy by default).

So, Gumi and I just sit around and talk about unimportant things, paint our toenails, play 100-year-old board games and look at my homework to pass the time. The day drags on—not because I'm bored, but because I'm just in a constant state of anxiety.

Soon, one day turns into two days, and two days turns into three days, and three days becomes… a week. On the seventh morning of my stay, Kaito comes into the kitchen with a flyer in his hand and drops it onto the table in front of me.

A girl with short blonde hair and round eyes smiles up at me. _MISSING_, it reads in bold, black letters. I skim over the brief detail—_went to school, didn't come home, last seen at the train station in blah, blah, blah at 4 o'clock, contact blah, blah, blah if you've spotted her anywhere else… blah, blah, blah._ My name, age and approximate height are written underneath the picture.

I swallow and sigh, squinting up at Kaito questioningly. He only raises his eyebrows back.

"That's a cute picture," Gumi comments, eyeing the paper.

They used my school photo; taken last year. If there's anything I hate the most, it's school photos. I always manage to look like I have no chin; they make me look washed out and slightly on the dead side.

I frown. "Thanks."

"Your parents are obviously worried if they filed a missing person's report," Kaito mentions matter-of-factly. There's a tinge of jealousy in his words.

I sweep my fingers through the ends of my hair anxiously. "I never said that they _wouldn't_…" I trail off, licking my lips nervously. "I… need to speak to them. I _should_ speak to them. Tell them I'm okay." I just can't bring myself to go home.

Gumi and Kaito stare at me, before Gumi pipes up, saying, "We have a phone. We don't really use it and I'm not sure whether it works, but—" She stops mid-sentence to point at the phone sitting on the kitchen bench next to the microwave. "It's over there."

"Thanks—I think I'll just use my mobile, though," I say quickly, uncertainly. I stand, wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt—my school skirt that I washed it yesterday. Taking a breath, I walk downstairs to find my phone, and after fishing it out of my bag, head back upstairs to start tapping the landline number into the keypad. I hold the phone up to my ear and hear the rings.

One, two, three—

Mum picks up on the fifth tone. "Hello?" she asks, her voice a relief to my ears.

However, my throat closes up instantly. I open my mouth and nothing comes out. I try to speak, but there is just no noise—

"Hello?" she repeats. "Who's this?"

"I—" I stutter. "I—I—" I sound like a broken record.

After a moment of silence, she whispers, "…Rin?" Her voice softens.

I feel something inside me crack. "Mummy," I murmur. It's a word I don't really use; something more familiar to my childhood. I feel like I'm going to cry, but I don't. "Mum, I'm sorry, I can't—"

Dad's voice interrupts me. "Rin? It's Rin?" he's asking in the background, frantic, before his voice takes over the phone. "Rin, where are you? Where are you right now? Who has you? How are you calling us?"

Mum takes back the phone. "Honey, are you alright? Where are you? Speak to us. Please." There's so much desperation in her voice—it's almost suffocating.

I hold the phone away, squeezing my eyes shut. Kaito and Gumi have their backs turned; apparently watching the TV—but I know they aren't. I put the phone back up to my ear. "I'm sorry," I mumble. "I-I'm sorry, it's just—I can't come home. I can't. There's nothing wrong. No one has kidnapped me or anything. I'm safe—perfectly fine. I just can't come home."

"Why? Why can't you come home?" Mum asks gently. "Rin, please tell us what's going on."

I take in a breath. "I'm—I'm… I can't. It's too dangerous—_I'm _dangerous. Please, please—don't worry about me. I'm fine. I just can't come home. I have a place to stay and people are looking after me. I—I don't want to hurt you. I just—I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't look for me. I'll come home—I promise—just not… now."

"Rin," this time, it's Kaito's voice. He's staring at me from across the room, his eyes clouded with the cyan colour. His eyebrows are furrowed—something must be wrong.

"Rin—you're not making sense—please—"

Kaito begins waving his hand frantically, a panicked look crossing his face. I get the gist that I should hang up—whatever he predicted just then must be important.

"I'm sorry," I blurt out, cutting Dad mid-sentence. "I'm sorry—I'm sorry. I love you. Please understand. I love you guys. I promise I'll come home soon. Tell Len I love him." They go to say something else, but I force myself to hang up, slamming my phone shut. I'm shaking.

"They found you," Kaito says immediately. Gumi looks vacant.

The police? "Who?"

He grimaces. "No. Your parents don't call the police. They listened to you, luckily. If they're going to I wouldn't have let you call them," he tells me, obviously reading my mind. "Someone's going to trace your incantations from the park tomorrow afternoon—one of the lower ranked government members who live in the human world. The government is investigating your case since you're born to two Norhsoean's. By accident he'll stumble across the remnants of your incantations while looking for a trace, assume it's a kidnapping and alert the Kalhan. They'll have a squad here by tomorrow night."

"Will they tell my parents?" I inquire anxiously. "What will my parents think?"

He's silent for a moment. "They won't alert them unless they find you," he states.

I release a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. But that doesn't mean I'm relieved. "What do we do?"

"I'll call Meiko, assuming she won't answer I'll leave a message. She'll be home tonight, though. It's not until tomorrow night they'll be here—we'll have enough time, I think," Kaito debriefs. "Gumi, are you alright?"

I realise Gumi's been silent for the last couple of minutes. She stares ahead, completely void of emotion. However, Kaito's voice pulls her from her trance.

"Y—yes," she stammers, turning pink. "Sorry, I just completely spaced out."

Kaito and I exchange worried glances, but don't press onto the topic. "I'll go call Meiko," he tells us, before taking the phone and ducking downstairs. By the sounds of it, Meiko answers the phone.

I stare down at my own phone in my hand. The battery is extremely low.

"That brought back a lot of memories," Gumi mentions quietly, catching me off-guard.

I turn to look at her, frowning in curiosity. "What did? What memories?"

She scratches her neck timidly, looking at the ground. "When I was first taken in by Meiko and Gakupo, I was still in denial," she explains. "You know… I didn't want to believe they kicked me out of home—my parents. I tried calling them several times, and—you know. It was… painful. Eventually they threatened to call the police, so I stopped—but…" She glances up, a distant look in her eyes.

Awkwardly, I put a hand on her shoulder to show some comfort; I'm not the sympathetic kind, though. "I know that it hurts to be thrown out by the people who you loved and thought loved you back," I say gently. "But at least you have these guys, right? Even though you and Kaito and Meiko and whatever clash sometimes… they love you."

Gumi smiles weakly. "Yeah. I'm pretty lucky. I could've had it worse—I could still be eating out of trash cans, or even dead, you know?"

I smile back at her; the most compassionate smile I could muster. "I know."

She exhales shakily, before the strange, weaker side of Gumi disperses and her energetic façade returns. "If the government's going to be coming, I guess we better pack up," she says, stepping away from my hand in the direction for the stairs.

"Pack up?"

"Well, the only way we can avoid them is if we roll out," she states. "So we should pack what we need so we're not rushing later."

"Oh. Right." I follow after her downstairs, just as Kaito is about to walk up.

He stops and waits at the bottom of the staircase. "Meiko will be coming home early. She says we have to move fast, if we don't want them close on our trail. Are you two going to pack?" he asks.

"Yeah," Gumi answers.

Kaito follows after us into the bedroom. "She says that we should aim for tonight. It at least gives us a day head-start."

"Where will we be going, though?" I inquire, picking up my scattered books and putting it back into my schoolbag.

"Meiko says the best way is to go to the other world," he affirms.

My eyebrows rise in surprise. "But wouldn't that just make it easier for them to come after me? After all, the government is _based_ there." And Len is there, too.

"But the magic world is big, isn't it?" Gumi questions.

"Yeah," Kaito agrees. "And Meiko has a friend who could help you with disguising your incantations, Rin—but she only lives in Altar, so this is a great opportunity. There are more resources there; too… it could help with developing your skills." Altar is the name given to the other world—like Earth is named… _Earth_.

I run my tongue against my teeth. "It's just… Altar is _unknown_ to us. We don't know what we could be getting into—we could get hunted and killed by some species over there, for all I know." I turn to assist Gumi with packing her bag. "And how the hell are we even going to get there? The only viable gateways are in Siberia, Iceland and the US. And two of those which are incredibly rural."

Kaito frowns. "Why are you so against it?"

"I—" I go to argue, but pause. "I'm not _against_ it. But… none of us have ever been there. It's _different_. They have crazy things. Killing things. We could get lost, or eaten—or _something_."

He sighs. "It's going to be fine, Rin," he tells me—apparently peeved. I can't help it that I'm concerned.

And I know it's a one-in-a-billion chance, but if I run into Len over there—or someone who happens to know me… What happens if they see my incantations? If they tell my parents? If anything, going there is just making me closer to the government, too—and even though Kaito's trying to reassure me that they won't catch us—_anything _can happen.

Kaito presses his lips together, glancing between Gumi and I. "I'm going to go talk to Gakupo," he says, before leaving.

Gumi and I exchange glances, but say nothing else.

* * *

><p>After we finish packing our things, we set them beside the staircase, sit on the bottom step and play with a pack of cards. I haven't seen Kaito all afternoon—heaven knows what he's doing. Probably brooding. Gakupo hasn't made a peep, either.<p>

Eventually, the sound of a car ignition interrupts our game, and Gumi and I turn our heads towards the door. A flustered Meiko stumbles inside, dumping a few bags on the floor at our feet, before exhaling loudly.

Kaito appears from his room, with Gakupo following closely behind. "This better be a correct prediction," Meiko says gruffly, bending over to sift through her bags. "Otherwise I'll literally _kill _you."

"I'm 98% sure it's correct," Kaito responds nervously.

Meiko narrows her eyes in his direction, before pulling out a backpack from one of the bags and tossing it to me. "You're better off with one of these. That schoolbag's going to get you nowhere." I bite my lip nervously, casting a look at my school bag on the floor. She _is_ right, but…

"We leave at six on the dot. It'll take an hour and a half for us to get to the gateway," she states. "And probably wear decent shoes, too. We'll be doing a bit of trekking through nature."

Gumi groans. "_Please_ don't tell me there'll be snakes."

The brunette ignores her remark and turns to Gakupo. "Have you got it ready?" she inquires sharply.

Gakupo blinks in confusion, before realisation sets over his face. "Oh. Right. Yes," he answers hastily, ducking back into his bedroom. I look at Gumi to see if she understands what they're talking about, but she gives me a blank look and shrugs.

I begin transferring my belongings from my schoolbag to the backpack. "What will I do with my bag?" I question Meiko.

"I'll deal with it," she answers, just as Gakupo returns, hobbling over to her. He holds out a white glove and she examines it carefully. "Hmm. Good enough—Rin?" She looks back at me.

"Yeah?"

Meiko bends forward to grasp my right arm and stretches it out towards Gakupo. He scrunches up the glove and slips it onto my hand, before pulling it up just over my elbow. I frown at it.

"What's this for?" I take my arm from Meiko's grasp and scan the glove. It looks… normal.

Gakupo clears his throat uncomfortably. "I made small spell which can disguise your incantation trails for the time being, and placed them on this glove. As long as you're wearing it, no one of regular magic skills can detect your trails, and it diminishes detection even for those who can. It's something you can wear temporarily just to keep danger away. It's as much as I can do. You'll get better help in Altar, though."

"Oh," I say. "Okay. Thank you?"

He grins somewhat uncertainly, before shuffling away to stand behind Kaito. "That's cool," Gumi comments. "I didn't know Gakupo could do that."

"Me neither," I answer, stuffing the last of my things into the backpack and zipping it shut. "What's the time?" I ask Meiko.

She glances at her watch. "Ten to six. Is everyone else packed?"

Gumi and Kaito make sounds of agreement and show their bags. I notice neither Gakupo or Meiko have bags with them. "Aren't you guys coming too?"

Meiko shakes her head. "No. It'll be too suspicious for us to all disappear. We'll stay behind and try to distract them. But we've agreed to all meet in a couple of weeks in the capital city of Hysteral at Luka's if everything goes according to plan. Then we'll work from there."

"Oh." Luka must be Meiko's… 'friend'.

"All right. On ya horses. Let's go," she instructs. Gumi and I stand, sling our bags over our shoulders and shuffle after Meiko outside. The cold air hits me abruptly and I shiver, my breath visible in the air. The sun had long set. "How's it looking, Kaito?" Meiko calls over her shoulder.

Kaito's reply comes slightly belated. "It looks fine. Nothing has changed."

"Good."

Gumi and I exchange nervous glances. My stomach is full of butterflies.

* * *

><p>It's an hour long train trip to the outer area of Yokohama, and we walk from the train station for half an hour until we reach this secluded forest-like area. Meiko seems intent and sure of her directions, but I'm not. The forest looks exactly the same no matter where we walk, and it's dark and cold, and I feel like I can't breathe.<p>

Meiko stops in her tracks, and so do we. She sniffs the air. "Ah. Yes. We're quite close. This way." She turns left and disappears into shrub. Grumbling, I struggle to follow after, my toes and legs numb-feeling.

We walk into a clearing illuminated by the moon. The atmosphere feels wired with energy. In the middle of the clearing are worn stones, a little over a foot taller than me, positioned in a circle-like formation. Maybe I'm a little delusional from the cold, but this setting feels somewhat surreal.

Meiko snoops around the area. "Mm. This place was once a transportation gate—a smaller version. They were all abandoned though in the 20th century because of WWII. People were terrified of it coming to Altar, so they did anything to limit contact with humans."

"Does it still work?" I query, frowning.

"I hope. They _can_ get a little dodgy after a while of not being used and maintained, and other whatnot," she responds casually. "Let's pray you all arrive in one peace." She grins.

I gulp.

"It'll be okay," Kaito reassures, stepping up to my side. I close my eyes and frown in disagreement.

Meiko turns to discuss something with Gakupo, who is scanning the clearing, as if he's looking for something.

"What're they doing _now?_" Gumi mumbles, folding her arms tightly over her chest, shivering. "I just want them to hurry up because I'm freezing. I think my toes are getting frostbite."

Gakupo wanders off to the other side of the glade, looking at a tree stump nearby. After running his fingers over the surface and feeling the air around it, he nods at Meiko and calls, "Yep. This is it."

"It makes me feel uneasy watching these two take care of this when they have no idea what they're doing. Knowing them, they'd probably end up sending us to Saturn or something," Gumi mutters. I snort, agreeing with the statement, and Kaito just shakes his head.

"Alright, kiddos," Meiko says, ushering us into the middle of the stone circle. "Kaito, you know I gave you a map and some money for Altar. Don't lose them, for the love of God. If Rin ends up dying, you _know_ I'll kill you, right?" Kaito nods stiffly.

Gumi huffs at Meiko's words. "What about me? What if _I_ die?"

"You're not important," Meiko responds bluntly. I just about roll my eyes so hard they do a 360 in their sockets. She's _still_ on about that.

"And just a note, there's a 70% chance you could all die in this process. I'm putting my bids on Kaito's forecasts that you will be the other 30%." She continues to smile pleasantly. My stomach churns and I feel myself pale.

I don't actually realise I'm digging my nails into my palm until I feel a sharp pain from my left hand. I look down, seeing red lines in my palm—the slightest smudge of blood. The cuts feel numb shortly after from the cold, and I stuff my hand into my jacket pocket.

"Well, then," Meiko concludes, clasping her hands. "Good luck, you three." Her eyes pause on mine and hold my gaze for a few moments, before she turns to walk away.

Kaito reaches out to hold my shoulder, almost as if he knew I felt dangerously close to passing out a few seconds ago. I smile at him uneasily, and he just gives me a _look_.

Gumi grasps onto my arm tightly while Gakupo begins murmuring some spell under his breath. A pattern, illuminated by a bright green light, weaves its way through the dead wood of the tree stump, before appearing on the ground and rushing towards the large boulders surrounding us. Soon, they're covered by the shapes too, and the air starts to buzz as it's filled with an invisible source of electricity.

"You're our good luck charm, I guess," Gumi tries to say light-heartedly through her gritted teeth. I force an uncomfortable laugh, squinting as the patterns start to grow brighter and brighter.

They grow so bright, I almost can't see Meiko or Gakupo anymore, when Kaito shouts, panicked, "Wait—"

Then there is absolutely nothing. No noise. No feeling. Just nothingness. It's like that for approximately five seconds.

—Until a sharp pain tears its way through my head.

I scream, to hear nothing, and I can't feel anything; it's like I no longer have a body. It is the most terrifying feeling.

_That's it_, I think. _We're dead_.

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><p><strong>and then they die.<strong>

**JK. I'm not _that_ mean. Yes, I am still alive. I'm soz guys ily please don't het mi**

**It's funny I found sudden inspiration to finish this chapter because on Friday, I received my marks back for my English assessment (the story I was talking about in the last chapter - did I? Or am I just imagining it? Haha, I am too lazy to check) and they were pretty awful marks for me, considering I tried so FECKING HARD on this shitty assessment and I'm usually an A/B student.  
><strong>**Now all of my English marks are going to go down :') It makes me want to stab someone. in the face. (I did cry hideously to my music teacher afterwards; I was so devastated, kmn.)  
><strong>**All the Year 11 English teachers are pieces of poopsuck and can't handle the originality yo. Let's agree to never be creative again. (Sigh. I even get better marks in Japanese rather than English, even though Japanese is my second language. Australian education logic/10)**

**this is rly short but it's how I wanted it to end. good news is that I have like four weeks (two weeks technically not included because I get off school to study for exams/heehee) left of school for this term so yeeeeeey. More updates. Hopefully.**

**I HOPE THIS OFFERING IS GOOD ENOUGH! pls understand my terribleness.**

**THANK YE FOR LOVELY REVIEWS, AND ALSO THE AGGRESSIVE ONES TOO. I LOVE YOU. PLEASE REVIEW THIS CHAPTER TOO! MUCH DANKE.**


	5. Chapter 4

**4**

—The good news is we're not dead. Yet.

Soon the pain in my brain subsides to just a small throb on the right, and I feel my feet become feet again against a hard ground. The rest of my body loses its strength and like a rag doll, I come into contact with a surface that smells of moisture and dirt as gravity pulls my weak body down, before I start to slide down a slope I'm not mentally aware of. My vision is blurred, blotchy, my head still spinning—and amongst all the havoc in my brain, I'm screaming, horrified.

Someone grabs me by my jacket sleeve and I stop moving, I stop screaming. "Rin, Rin—can you hear me?" Kaito's voice demands. "Gumi, help me help her up—"

The fuzzy figures surrounding me soon come to fine detail. The worried faces of Gumi and Kaito stare down at me, and my eyes adjust to our surroundings. "What?" I say, confused and dazed, my speech slurring. "This—this doesn't look like a city…?"

I'm gesturing to the large, mangled silhouettes of the trees surrounding us, and a dark sky encrusted with diamond-like stars hanging over our heads.

Kaito looks hesitant as they pull me up onto my backside. The world moves and my vision fades as a dizzy spell comes over me. Gumi stops me from toppling over again. "Yeah—_well_—you're right. It's not the city. We're—I don't know where we are. We're in a forest. Somewhere. Not in the city."

Gumi sighs exasperatedly, rolling her eyes up into her forehead. "We trust your predictions, but you _still_ lead us into danger. I swear on my life, Kaito." She jabs him in the ribs accusingly and he jumps away, while I harrumph weakly in agreement, still feeling a little queasy.

The blue-haired boy pulls a face. "Oh, I'm sure we're not far off from our original destination; and I mean, at least we didn't end up on the bottom of the ocean, right?" We continue to glare at him accusingly, so he chuckles nervously and changes the subject. "Anyway, Rin, were you okay back there?" he asks worriedly.

I conscientiously lift a hand to my head, where the sharp pain had sliced through moments before. It is now just a very faint, dull throb. "I think. I feel like I just lost a couple of decades off my own life, though."

Gumi folds her arms over her chest, irritated. "So much for keeping her safe," she comments bitterly. "If Meiko finds out about this, you know she won't be very happy."

Kaito flushes, turning away. "It wasn't intentional," he protests over his shoulder. "And Meiko _won't_ know. We'll just say we ended up a little lost. That's all."

Gumi opens her mouth to argue more, but Kaito hastily interrupts, holding a finger up. "Shh." A serious expression replaces his stubborn attitude and he tilts his head up to the trees, listening for something. "You hear that?"

She goes to say something again, still wanting to carry on about Kaito's failed predictions—probably—but then pauses, paling. "…I can hear it too."

I turn my head to listen out. It takes a few moments to drown out the sounds of the crickets and rustling trees—but I finally hear it: a low, rumbling sound, coming from higher up the mountain. It seems like it's… growing closer.

"A volcano?" Gumi whispers, eyes wide.

Kaito's eyes flash, before he grimaces, suddenly becoming hasty. "Nope. Nope. We gotta go, let's go—" He hauls me onto my feet in one swift movement, before picking up his backpack and handing Gumi hers, his hands trembling.

"What is it?" I ask, distressed as one bad thing leads to another, while he starts pulling us down the mountain in a panicked manner, our feet crunching into the dead leaves and sticks surrounding.

I watch on in confusion and anxiety as Kaito glances over his shoulder, before he blanches and hisses, "Shit."

Gumi and I follow his gaze, slowing in pace, before we realise the reason for his strange actions.

"Mother of God," Gumi breathes my exact thoughts.

Of all things, coming down the mountain is a motherfucking, huge swarm of hippo-sized spiders.

* * *

><p>We are running. We are running very quickly, but apparently not fast enough.<p>

"Gumi, can you just do something? I don't know, grow sunflowers!" Kaito yells over his shoulder.

"Kaito, in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been educated enough to even know how to control my magic," Gumi argues in between puffs. "Gosh, Rin, can't _you_ just—"

"_NO_," Kaito and I scream. He looks at me. "Rin is not going to do that, because then we'll _definitely_ die. I can see it."

Gumi huffs angrily. "I no longer trust your visions, you blue-headed log-brain," she murmurs.

"Why are you running, then?"

"Why _else?_ They're spiders. Spiders the size of _humans_. As far as I'm concerned, that is not okay. None of this is okay," she answers. She glances back at the swarm and makes a sobbing noise. I look back as well, to only have my fears confirmed: they are gaining on the speed of our poor scrawny human legs.

"Stuff it," I hear Gumi say, before she disappears from my side. She's stopped in her tracks and turned to the creatures.

I slow, grabbing Kaito by the collar with me. "Kaito, this is suicide," I splutter.

He gives me a weird look, and I return it, before he turns away to frown at Gumi. "She'll be fine," he reassures, somewhat nervously.

"I—" Cutting me off, a loud, crackling sound comes from Gumi's direction. There she stands, like Mother Nature—except, a less sophisticated version. As she holds her palms out, thick, green vines slither out like snakes from the ground beneath her feet in the direction of the horrid creatures. "Holy cow," I breathe in awe.

"Gumi!" Kaito yells, "Make a wall! That'll stall them enough for us to break the entrance of the forest!"

Gumi says something back—probably something sardonic by the tone of her voice—but the sound of the running drowns it out. I watch as she concentrates fixatedly on weaving the vines, building them across from tree to tree, like a fence.

It doesn't take too long until the spiders hit the wall. It's then when Kaito lunges forward, grabbing Gumi by the back of her shirt, and saying, "That's good enough. Let's go."

My calves are aching and my head is pounding by the time the mouth of the forest is in sight. It's like a gate to heaven, and I slow down, relieved. However, it's only then the sound of falling trees erupts behind us and confirms the spiders have broken through Gumi's obstacle.

"Run, run, run!" Kaito screams at us, before he disappears out of the forest, and Gumi not soon after. I struggle to pick up my pace with great agony, before stumbling into the dim-lit open field, partially blinded by the bright moon, and continuing to stumble a few more metres from the forest. I collapse, trembling. My legs scream at me in pain.

I watch in silenced terror as the monster-like creatures appear amongst the trees just where I was standing moments ago. _This is really it_, I think to myself as they close in, and close my eyes expectantly.

Conversely, that moment doesn't come. They're only a few metres from where I'm hunched when something unusual happens. Like there's an invisible force—they stop, piling up on each other, unable to move any further. Like there's some kind of invisible wall separating us and them.

"I thought so," I hear Kaito say, puffing, from behind me. I turn to look. He and Gumi are bent forward, breathing hard. "These guys were a nuisance for the locals so they got the government to shut them in here. Probably your normal, everyday magical-world pest." He chuckles, breathlessly.

"It sure isn't funny to me," Gumi comments. "I'm going to have arachnophobia nightmares for years."

I stand shakily, limping towards them. My legs trembled with every step I took. "Tell me about it." Gumi looks up at me and grins toothily. I smile back tiredly. "Good job back there. You saved our lives."

Gumi blows some air, waving her hand around nonchalantly. "_Oh_, it was nothing, guys," she says flippantly.

Kaito snorts and she elbows him in the ribs.

I flop onto the grass and stretch my legs out, wincing. "That was probably the most exercise I have done. Ever. And never again will I trust Kaito when it comes to risky and dangerous things," I say.

"I honestly don't blame you," Gumi answers, crouching next to me. She plucks a blade of grass with her fingers and twists it, before tossing it aside.

Her expression suddenly turns grave. "Like, the first thing I remember when we got in the forest was screaming, and then Kaito and I realised it was _you_ screaming, and that we couldn't find you. I dunno, man, but something weird happened to you back there."

I think back to the painful memories, screwing my face up. "It… I… Yeah. It wasn't very nice. I thought I was going to die."

Kaito walks over to us, dropping his bag to the ground to fetch three bottles of water. He hands Gumi and I ours, and keeps one for him. "Yeah. Sorry about that," he says casually, joining us on the ground. I raise my eyebrow, as if to say, _Really?_ He looks hesitant. "A vision came to me just as we transferred over—the vision of it going wrong. Something must have happened. A movement in the universe or something like that—I don't know. But I predicted a bad outcome. Luckily, it didn't turn out as bad as what was predicted." He looks somewhat pleased.

"Wait… so we _were_ going to die?" Gumi asks.

He sighs. "Well, Rin was. She wouldn't have made it in one piece. You were going to be amputated just a bit. And I… was just going to hurt. A lot. But that didn't happen. _So_." Kaito smiles.

"So?" She raises an eyebrow.

Kaito then raises his hands and wiggles his fingers. "Magic," he reasons.

Gumi and I just sigh deeply. Magic, unfortunately is not the answer to everything. Exhibit a), here, is me: I suck, and I also have the potential to wipe out an entire human race if I tried, however other magic cannot change such suckiness and potential-iness, and make me an attractive and friendly teenager, who in turn uses Norhsoean magic. It just doesn't happen like that.

(Although, it is pretty weird Kaito predicted a good future, then a bad future, but instead the future kind of went murky and half bad instead of just trashing us entirely. Then again, why was I the one who got dark magic as their only 'decent' skill? Questions. Questions I'll probably never know the answer to.)

"So… anyone know where we are?" I ask after a while of silence.

Gumi looks at Kaito, who looks back at Gumi. "_You_ have the map and the half-psychic brain, _you_ figure it out," she tells him irritably.

Kaito pouts at her and she pokes her tongue out back at him. He closes his eyes to think. "East is just a lot of grass for a very long time. West, not much better. North—well, we just went through there. South… not the right direction, however, there is a town south-east from here, five hours walk away, that could provide us with a place to rest and perhaps a method of travel to Hysteral."

"South-east it is!" Gumi exclaims. "In which way exactly is south-east?"

Kaito points past my shoulder, to the small mountains in the distance. Very, very faint lights twinkle at the base like hope in amongst hell—you wouldn't notice at first.

After staring at the mountain for a little longer, in a trance, I pick up my bag and stand. "Well, let's go."

* * *

><p>I have a feeling of unease settle on me as we roll into the small town, which Kaito later informs us is called, 'Archeland'. The sun had not long risen, and by my guess it's around seven o'clock. What day? I don't know. What year? I don't know that either.<p>

Actually, the weather is a lot warmer. I think I read somewhere that because Altar is positioned in an entirely different place than Earth, the seasons are usually different. In the northern hemisphere of Altar, it's usually a season and a bit behind than our northern hemisphere—the southern, well, obviously a season and a bit ahead. So my guess that currently it'd be around the beginning of autumn, since Archeland is located in the northern hemisphere, like Hysteral.

Altar's seasons are about a month longer than Earth's. The days and months are different as well, such as different names and lengths to suit Altar's differences, but I can't be bothered to go into details. It's expected, since Altar's history traces back a little bit before the earliest document of human existence on Earth. (It's also rumoured that some of Altar's first 'humans' actually partially contributed to Earth's early human population. Then again, people on Altar like to make out they're better and more advanced than the scummy old humans back on Earth, so I doubt that rumour could be true.)

Kaito finds us a cheap inn to stay at overnight to rest and get our bearings before we start travelling to Hysteral. The inn rooms are pretty expected for the price: basically, three hard, crummy beds stuffed into a room that smells of dust and animal faeces, with one small, high window you can barely see out of.

"Beautiful," Gumi comments sardonically, throwing her bag on one of the beds. I do the same, picking the one that looks least likely out of the two left to have a colony of rats or infestation of bed bugs. Sorry Kaito, but you can suffer. "The streets of Tokyo are almost more homely than this."

Kaito rolls his eyes. "Yeah, well, Meiko sure wasn't generous—and if we want to be able to afford food and travelling costs, we'll have to put up with this." He perches on the edge of his bed to open up the map Meiko had given him, and I swear I see something scatter across the sheets. I shudder.

"I asked someone how long it'd take to travel to Hysteral by one of the cheap cart services, and they said approximately three to four days. The carts are technically like the Altar-version of bus transport, except, less comfortable and a whole lot slower. They stop in every town for up to an hour or more, and don't travel overnight. It's the only method of transport we have, though, unless we walk, which will take us a week and a half, and I'm sure you guys won't be interested in that option."

Gumi groans and flops onto her bed. "Can't we just, like, teleport there? It's the magic world, after all."

"Sure, if you can afford one of the many, expensive devices that can enable you to do so," Kaito replies. "Or if someone learns the spell, which is a level 12 in difficulty and is only taught in the sixth year of magic schooling."

"How do you know that?" I ask.

Kaito shrugs. "Research."

I narrow my eyes, suspicious, but turn away to perch on the edge of my bed.

"So carts it is?" he says hopefully. Gumi and I look at each other, before nodding. "Great! Well, I'll go find a service and arrange for something tomorrow. Why don't you two go make yourselves useful and buy some food that will last us a few days?"

His upbeat attitude annoys me, a little. It's like, _hey_, I almost died back there. Yet we're acting like it never even happened. (Plus, I'm extremely sore and tired, and I just want to curl up in a comfortable bed, preferably one not infested with bugs and the sort, and sleep for a millennium.)

"Alright," Gumi says hesitantly, standing from her bed. "We'll meet back here around, what? 10?"

"Yeah," Kaito agrees. He then looks at me with an unreadable expression, before leaving to do his side of the deal.

Once he's out of earshot, Gumi sighs and rolls her eyes. "Let's get this over with quickly. I just want to eat some breakfast and go to sleep." She hesitates; eyeing her bed like it's a piece of spoilt food. "Possibly on the floor."

I shudder at the thought of waking to bugs crawling out of my mouth. "Yep. Let's go."

And we step back out into the blinding, mid-morning light.

* * *

><p>Being in my current troubling magic situation, I'm frequently plagued by nightmares—the kind that make you toss and turn and sweat until you wake up in a panicked daze. I don't know whether these are supposed to have stopped yet, or when they're supposed to stop at all; but I'm kind of getting really sick of them, you know?<p>

Tonight's dream went like this: I was sitting in a park with Len, Mum and Dad. I don't know why we were there, but we were. Then, out of the blue, Len looked at me, frightened, and said, "They're coming."

"Who?" I'd asked. I also noticed that Mum and Dad had disappeared, nowhere to be seen; and that it was just Len and I, standing alone.

Of course, like most dreams, it took a turn to the unrealistic side of things: suddenly, a flock of ink black, menacing birds appeared in the sky and headed straight towards us. Len had grabbed my arm and dragged me into some playground equipment, but when he went to take his hand away, he couldn't.

Like most dreams, they ended in a similar way this did. "You're one of them!" he'd shouted, frightened, accusingly at me.

I looked at my arms and saw the incantations, black as black and hideously snaking their way up my arms. He screamed, apparently in pain, as they started to weave into his own skin. I tried to pull my arm away—but couldn't. His grip was glued.

Sobbing, he gave me that look I always hated the most in my dreams. It always gave me that gutted feeling. His eyes casted a look of betrayal, fear, despair—it was like at that point he loses his trust, love and compassion towards me, his sister—and it hurt.

I would wake up then, before I'd kill him with my powers, in a cold sweat, trying to separate reality from the dream. Sometimes I think the dreams just exploits my fears—my fear of losing the person who saw purity and perfection for who I am.

I wake up Gumi and Kaito this time with my whimpers and jostling. When I sit up, Gumi asks gently from her bed, "Another one?"

"Yeah," I answer tiredly, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Kaito sits up. "You woke both of us," he responds groggily.

I groan and mumble an apology, opening and closing my eyes in intervals to try and wake myself up. "What time is it?"

"8pm," Kaito says.

I think I fell asleep around 3pm. We tried to prolong our naps at last until afternoon so we wouldn't be disturbing our sleep pattern too much. "Ugh," I grumble to myself, lying back down onto my concrete-like bed. There are no bugs, thankfully.

Kaito and Gumi go back to sleep, so I lay staring into the darkness for a while. I can't see out of the window, either, so there's literally nothing to do. I just think about home. I miss the warm embrace of my parents and homemade food, and the comfort of my own bedroom.

I close my eyes instead and start to imagine that I'm really at home, curled up in bed, hearing the movements of Mum and Dad downstairs. It eases the mind, at least a little.

But soon my thoughts move onto Len, and what he would be doing right now. Possibly studying, getting ready for bed. Does he think of me, much? Or would he be so caught up in school to think about anything outside of it?

I wonder if Mum and Dad have contacted him at all telling him that I've been missing for over a week. That I've disappeared with no trace, and that I left them with a strange phone call telling them that I can't come home, for whatever reason. I wonder if they've figured it out, somehow; why I never came home. They're not stupid… and I know they know I wouldn't just run away for the heck of it.

They probably do know. Whether they'd tell Len; I don't know that.

In amongst my pointless thoughts that wander aimlessly and go round in circles, I finally fall back into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day, I wake to Gumi roughly shaking me. It's 5 o'clock in the morning, and apparently we have to leave.<p>

My legs are sore and stiff, and so is my neck and back. Half-asleep, I hobble outside into the dark streets after Kaito and Gumi, blinking tiredly at the strip of orange sunlight peaking on the horizon in the distance. Only a few people stir on the streets, ignoring us as we glide past. I wrap my clothes tighter against me; the air with a slight, autumn chill to it.

Kaito earlier explained the cart services leave early to ensure greater distances are travelled before retiring at around eight, nine o'clock at night, because it's more convenient. Personally, it's not all that convenient for me, because I'm anything but a morning person.

The cart is literally what you'd think it'd be: a horse-driven vehicle made out of wood, with a cover spread over the top on a frame to keep you out of the rain or sun. The floor of the cart is covered in hay, and smells slightly of moisture and pee. There are two flaps for windows on each side of the tarp cover, and the back of the cart hasn't got a tarp cover, so you can see out back.

After Kaito sorts out something with the cart driver, the three of us climb into the small space, where a handful of other people are sitting—sleeping. A few more people roll in as the sun starts to rise over the sleepy town, then we're off; Archeland soon disappearing into the distance and instead being replaced by a long, dusty road.

By this time I'm wide-awake. Gumi hands me a roll of bread with meat filling that we bought from the bakery yesterday to have for breakfast, and we play a game of cards to pass time. I commend Gumi for smart thinking.

Soon, we're sweltering in the heat of the bright sun overhead. I try to sleep to survive, but to no avail, I just end up staring into the bright road we're leaving behind.

We pull up in another town that night and rest in another inn that's literally no better than the first one. Then we're up again, doing the same thing as yesterday; exposing ourselves to the dusty roads and burning suns.

"The driver thinks we'll be at Hysteral tomorrow, hopefully," Kaito tells us when we settle in hopefully the last inn the next night.

Gumi breathes a sigh of exasperated relief from her bed. "Thank goodness. I've been cleaning orange dirt from my nose for two days straight. It's awful. God, I hope whenever we find that Luka-or-whatever she has a bathtub and lots of food."

My stomach grumbles at the mention of food. We've had to ration even more to save money—I only ate lunch today. "And comfortable beds and bite cream," I add, scratching at the itchy lumps on my arms. Man, does Altar have some wicked bugs around here. (Or maybe I'm just allergic to something.)

We simultaneously exhale dreamily as we think of the outcome of tomorrow. "Let's get to sleep so tomorrow comes quicker," Kaito says, and we all agree.

So we turn out the lights, and for the third time, I have a dreamless, and somewhat satisfying sleep.

The third day is the longest, and the hardest. Thankfully, the dust road turns to bitumen, and the dead grass along the road starts to turn green. Gumi and I share a strange stone fruit between us—it tastes like a morph between an apple and a passionfruit—trying to savour the freshness and juiciness while we melt in the furnace-like shelter of the cart.

Eventually, the sun starts to set and the cart cools off, and the driver announces Hysteral in the distance. Gumi and I rush to poke our heads out the window, admiring the far off skyline made up of tall, sleek high rises that twinkle against the pink-purple-orange sky. A certain excitement, as well as anxiety, sets in the pit of my stomach.

I'm dozing off to sleep when the cart halts to an abrupt stop. But that isn't what wakes me. Instead, the sound of ripping fabric above my head jolts me back to consciousness, and I realise it's pitch black. The cart lamp must have gone out. A blood-curdling scream of distress comes from outside and I feel Gumi jerk awake beside me. She pulls me close to her instinctively, like I'm some sort of shield. It's not like I'd be a very good shield, though.

Someone's hand touches my leg in the darkness and I squeal, before another hand clamps over my mouth. "Shh," Kaito's voice says in a hushed tone. "It's just me. Don't speak."

Another tearing sound comes from above, and more screams echo through the cart. The other people inside are stirring, worried murmurs being exchanged between them. "I know you really don't want to hear this," Kaito whispers to us, "but the driver just got murdered and we're currently under attack by a group of bandits. You know, they're still pretty common around here and all…"

Gumi tightens her grip on my arm, muttering obscenities under her breath. Trust Kaito to leave it till _now_.

"They _might_ kill us," he then mentions quietly.

Loud yells come from outside, as well as the sounds of pounding feet. The distressed whinnying of the horses and the rocking of the cart makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Finally, a hovering light reaches the back of the cart, revealing a crooked man's face peering at us in the darkness with a lantern hanging in one hand. He has a knife in his other hand; covered in a thick, dark liquid with a metallic smell. Blood.

My stomach lurches.

"Well, well, well," he coos, showing a row of crooked, yellowing teeth. "Looks like we hit the jackpot tonight, fellas."

More faces appear in the darkness—twisted, dirty, cruel. Their hands start hungrily grappling at our feet; and mine are the first to be surrendered. I scream, only briefly, before whoever had pulled me from the cart throws me onto the dirt and kicks me in the back.

"Where's ya money?" a gruff voice whispers in my ear, and I whimper in response. A hand grabs my hair, painfully yanking my head back to meet the black, beady eyes of a well-aged, stinking man. "Where is it, ya lil' rat?"

"I-I haven't got any," I spluttered, wincing in pain.

The man rips off my jacket, feeling through the pockets. When he falls empty handed, he throws it onto the ground and presses a blade to my neck. "Well, do ya know what we do to lil' rats without the money?" he slurs. "We kill 'em. We kill everyone. That's what we do."

A hard, cold lump forms in my throat, and I can't speak. I hear Gumi scream as someone hurls her out of the cart and throws her onto the ground nearby. The blood rushing in my ears becomes extremely loud, my heart pounding away in my chest in fear as he presses the blade harder into my neck.

"Now, shall I do it quick 'n easy, or slow and painfully?" he muses to himself, smirking maliciously.

Oh God, oh God, oh God, I think to myself. He's really going to kill me? He really is. I'm going to die.

He then chuckles darkly. "Slow and painfully is always enjoyable," he decides, and holding me tightly in place, continues to press the blade into my neck.

A sharp pain tears across my body, and I feel a trickle of blood run down my neck, being soaked by the collar of my school shirt. I move my hands up to his to pry it away, but my strength is no match. More waves of sharp pain run through me, and I grip harder, feeling my fingers go cold. "Let me go," I hiss, and he cocks his head to say in a sickly sweet tone, "What was that, miss?"

He applies more pressure on the blade, and it sends another ripple searing pain down my neck, which travels through shoulders, down my arms and into my fingertips. "I said," I choke out, "let _me go!_"

A surge of energy rushes from my chest into the palms of my hands, and the man stiffens, the blade loosening against my neck, before toppling onto me; a dead weight.

I gasp, appalled, and I lay stunned until someone's screams shake me back to reality. I crawl out from underneath the man's cold, heavy body, catching a glimpse of my hands. As expected, they're covered in incantations. I feel my stomach drop, but this is something to worry about later.

Unfortunately, all the commotion has drawn more attention to me, as a small group of thugs gather around, sharpening their knives menacingly as I stand shakily. My hands feel cold as ice, but in my chest there's a burning sensation. My neck also reminds me of its recent injury, too, and I flinch.

"Stay away," I warn them in a weak voice.

"Whatcha gonna do, lovey?" one of them say mockingly, stepping forward. "Grow flowers on us?"

They move closer, and as a threat, I hold my hand out and whisper, "_Deflectio_."

A ripple moves through the air and knocks them backwards, stumbling. The eyes of one blazes at me as his curiosity is heightened, and he circles me. I follow his movements, anxious, before he lurches forward to attack with a knife wielded above his head.

Panicked, I hold my hands out and scream. But the attack never comes. I lift my head and open my eyes slowly to reveal the attacker's limp body at my feet—cold, lifeless. My stomach turns and I step back warily, as everyone else's gazes fall on me.

It doesn't take long for people to notice my burning incantations.

"She's one of them," a women's voice says from in the darkness. "She's a demon!"

I look back at the remaining two of the trio who attempted to attack me, feeling a certain dizziness come over. I stumble, feeling sick. "Gawd," one of them curses, taking a step back. "She'll kill us with one touch."

My head is spinning. I don't know how I'm doing it. I didn't even touch him. I was just killing people effortlessly; without a spell in mind. I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop myself from vomiting. _Killer, you're a killer,_ a voice in my head says.

The incantations are burning, burning, burning. But other places feel cold and numb. It's a dreadful feeling; terrible. I want to tear off my skin and run away, hide, forget everything, but I can't. The others are still in danger.

My eyes flicker desperately across the ground to find Kaito or Gumi, to run to them for help. But they're nowhere to be seen. I stumble forward and the surrounding bandits back away with fear in their eyes as I weave my way through the crowd. A high-pitched, strangled scream jerks me from my daze and I turn my head in its direction. Gumi is pressed up against the tattered fabric of the cart with a hand around her neck, the skin on her face a purplish red, her eyes rolling back into her head. Kaito sits slumped on the ground beside her, unmoving.

An incredible fury courses through me. Though the ground sways, I feel myself move abruptly towards the person who has Gumi suffocating, with my hand outstretched. I shriek at them to stop, enraged—

And—

Then—

Then, I do not remember anything at all.

* * *

><p><strong>it's 1am and I tried to get this new chapter finished here it is!1!11 it's shitty written but longer ugh the end of it is agh ugh I don't know what<strong>

I'm assuming you guys would already guess what Rin would do next. but if not, all shall be revealed in the next chapter whichyouwillhavetowaitsixthousandmorelongyearsbeforeIupdatecries.

yes I really wanted to get this to hurry along because i want to get to the next part and inTRODUCE MORE CHARACTERS AND MORE PLOT LET'S DO IT PIRILUK YEAH.

**okay I really have to sleep so like goodnight and please R&R but also please don't stab me either for being a poop ok ok bye ily guys**


	6. Chapter 5

**5**

* * *

><p>I wake up in a small room with white-painted walls and light pink curtains hanging over the window. There's minimal furniture, and it's completely silent; besides the gentle clicking of the fan overhead.<p>

I'm settled into a bed in the far corner, with a patch-work quilt draped over me. My body is stiff, sore, and I feel a little bit feverish. From my observation, it'd be early morning or late afternoon; the sky that's visible in the crack of the curtains a gentle pink-orange colour.

A figure appears in the doorway, holding a bowl in their hands. As they walk closer to me, it becomes evident it's a young woman—probably 23, 24; a bit younger than Meiko, with pretty pink hair and deep blue eyes. Her skin is fair and for some reason, the air that surrounds her makes her appear as if she has wisdom that is beyond her ears.

The woman sets the bowl aside on the table next to the bed and sighs tiredly. "Good morning," she greets calmly with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," I croak out. I want to say more, to ask what's happening, but I can't even be bothered to do so.

She hums in response, folding back the covers from my chest and placing another pillow behind my head so I'm sitting up straighter. I'm dressed in a pink, lace nightie, and there's a bandage wrapped around my neck.

The memories from that night flash into my mind and I cringe. Though it hurts, I move my arm from underneath the sheets to look at the damage, startling the lady. The incantations wind in intricate patterns up to the mid-point of my forearm. My stomach twists.

"They're not as bad as you think," the woman comments, dipping a cloth into the bowl. The liquid inside is clear like water, but smells of lavender. "But boy, did you create a bit of trouble back there." She seems to laugh to herself.

"Where are Gumi and Kaito?" I ask anxiously.

"Don't worry. They're okay, just resting. You need to relax," she tells me calmly.

With the damp cloth, she wipes it over my face and my chest, and my arms as well. It leaves a tingling sensation on my skin. "How many people did I kill?" I inquire, when she goes back to wet the cloth again.

The woman tilts her head, thinking. "Three, I think," she states. When she sees my expression, she just gives me a small smile and pats my head, somewhat awkwardly. "It's alright. I managed to get rid of the evidence and made it look like someone stabbed them back."

My eyebrows furrow. "But you can't get rid of the remnants of my spells, right?"

"I can't?" she questions back, apparently confused, wiping the cloth over my face once again. Then she starts to remove the bandage from my neck. "That's my specialty. It's my job to clean up the messes from accidents like these. Did Meiko not tell you that?"

Huh?

Finally, my mind starts to work better. "_You're_ Luka?" I ask, surprised.

The woman nods. "Yes? What did you expect, a talking gargoyle? Sure, I may not look _that_ old but I am pretty old. Not as old as Meiko, though."

I blink. "How did you find us before the police?"

"Oh, ways," she says distantly with a wink, tilting my chin up with a finger to gently pat the cloth at the cut on my neck. It stings a little. I frown at her response. "Be glad I found you before the Kalhan. You wouldn't even have lasted a minute in trial. You would've been chopped. Dead. No mercy."

I swallow nervously at the thought. Maybe I would've been better off in that situation. I mean… I _killed_ **_three people_**. _Three_. Not one, but _three_.

"What you did back there was brave, though," Luka comments. "A little bit reckless, but certainly brave. You're awfully strong for a 16 year old. I wouldn't want to get on your bad side." She laughs in an attempt to lighten up the tension, but it doesn't help much.

I stare down at the covers on the bed gingerly, unsure of what else to say. "How long was I out for?"

Luka finishes with the cloth and picks up the bowl to take back out of the room. "Ah, about two days, at the least. I had to keep waking you up to take you to the bathroom, you know? You probably don't remember that though, you were pretty out of it." She pauses in the doorway, just as she's about to leave. "Do you think you can walk?"

The thought of moving makes me feel queasy. "Not really," I say.

"Alright," she sighs. "Well, I'll come back in a moment and help you to the toilet. While you're this decent, might give you some breakfast too, hmm?" Then she disappears.

Luka is definitely a peculiar person. I thought she'd be crankier, or at least a bit bipolar like Meiko. But she seems really gentle and earnest; she seems intelligent, too. I feel like I can like Luka—well, if she doesn't end up shoving the same nonsense Meiko and everyone else is on about down my throat, too.

When she returns, she helps me out of bed slowly and half-carries, half-drags me to the bathroom. After I'm done there, she essentially carries me down the stairs (which is weird because, well, I never anticipated her to be so strong?) and sets me in an armchair a little on the worn side, but smells like roses.

She hands me a cup of miso soup and sits on the couch across from me. "I don't know much about Japanese breakfasts, but Meiko told me to feed you guys this. So, I hope it's alright," she explains meekly. I nod, the smell making me feel a bit homesick. "I also added a few extra ingredients to help with a speedy recovery. We don't want you sick when Meiko and Gakupo come." She winks, once again.

I sip at the cup; the hot liquid burning the tip of my tongue. For the first time, I discover how hungry I really am.

"Gumi was the first to wake up, the other day. She helped me out around here yesterday—she isn't as bad as you and Kaito. Kaito woke up yesterday, too, but he's still a little unwell. I'm letting them rest as much as possible," Luka continues to talk, obviously feeling awkward from the silence between us. "When you, er, saved them, you sort of also… drained everyone's energy to survive. Your energy was already low from the previous spells, and if you took that last blow by yourself, you would've died."

"Oh," I say guiltily. All the more reason I should've been caught by the Kalhan.

"Don't feel bad, Rin," Luka persists, frowning. "It was natural instinct. You weren't mentally aware that you did it. And after all, you saved everyone else's lives. Sometimes you have to inflict damage to prevent a worse outcome. Gumi and Kaito are really fine—I'm honestly more worried about you."

I just nod, staring into my cup. My other hand—the left one, which previously had no incantations—now has a slight pattern forming in the palm. My right, while it's grown, the patterns are still faded; looking similar to some sort of birthmark or scarring. I know that if I continue to use my magic—which is inevitable—the marks will eventually turn black and blatantly obvious.

"Speaking of which," Luka pipes up again, shaking me from my thoughts, "Meiko requested I'd work up something to disguise your incantations' trail. I've almost gotten it done; just give me a few more days." It's like she read my mind—but she just probably saw me staring at my hands. "I mean, there'll have to be more work if you want to _hide_ your incantations, but this will make your incantations' radiation practically undetectable."

"Is that even possible?" I hear myself asking.

Luka smiles thinly. "Rin, there are many, many things that are possible, but you just don't hear about them."

I bite my lip.

After I finish my soup, she takes me back upstairs, changes me out of my nightie into a clean, comfortable pair of matching (pink) pyjamas, and settles me into my bed once again. "Do you want a book or anything to do?" she asks me, folding the covers up around my chest. She's scarily maternal.

"Do you have any books about dark magic?" I question. I feel like I should read more about all of this… so that I'm at least half-prepared when it comes to the next time I have to inevitably use magic, and I don't end up nearly killing everyone.

Luka looks somewhat delighted I asked this. "I have a few. I'll bring them all so you have a selection. Just give me a moment." And she disappears downstairs, before returning with a large tower of them in her hands.

They're dusty, worn, and heavy. She sets them on the bedside table, triumphant. "It ranges from history, to a list of all recorded spells, to just general information," she states. "Perhaps you could look into a defence spell, just for future reference. It's just a lot easier to clean up an act of defence rather than an attack." She offers me a hesitant smile.

"Yeah." I pick up the first book on the pile, wiping the dust from the cover to see the title. _A Basic Guide to the Dark Arts_.

"Well, just shout if you need anything," she tells me after lingering for a few more moments. Then, she leaves me alone in the room.

I open the book and start reading.

* * *

><p>Two days pass, and I've managed to scan through at least five books from the pile of twelve; it's amazing how much you can get done when you're literally doing nothing all day. Finally, after the endless hours of being bedridden, I manage to gain enough energy to mope about Luka's house and watch Gumi and Kaito bicker over chores occasionally.<p>

Kaito is significantly better, as is Gumi, but they both have visible bruises on their necks from the event. None of them have said anything much about it, though, and I'm starting to wonder whether Luka told them to not mention it to me, or something like that.

One thing I've also picked up on is that Luka really, really likes pink. Like, _obsessively_. All the clothes sets she's lent me have been all sorts of shades of pink, from rose to salmon to magenta. At first, I didn't mind, but now I feel sick from looking at the colour so much.

Today's fresh, pink outfit is a cotton dress with sleeves that stop at the elbow and a skirt that stops just below the knees. It barely fits properly; the chest is gaping and the shoulders too broad. I look lost in the outfit. (If it adds to the effect, my cheeks are hollow and eyes sunken with heavy bags. I literally look visibly unwell, and it's a little scary.)

When I point these facts out to Gumi over breakfast, she states, "Well, you look a lot better than a few days ago. I mean, you were so pale you were grey. You looked like a zombie. Actually, I first thought Luka was trying to turn you into a zombie—but don't tell her I said that."

Speaking of Luka, she's out shopping today. She said she'd be back around lunch time, so.

"Did you take your vitamins, by the way, Rinnie? Luka told me to tell you to take them," Gumi says with a smirk. I cringe at the nickname Rinnie. No matter how many times I've said I don't like it, they ignore my remarks.

I grumble, standing shakily to meander into the kitchen and fetch the little container Luka makes up for me every morning. I know she wants me to get better, but it's getting tedious and I honestly think they're making no difference.

When I return, the troublesome two are now discussing things to do before Meiko and Gakupo get here. "We could go to one of the popular shopping districts?" Gumi suggests.

Kaito rolls his eyes. "Yeah, and buy nothing? I don't think so."

Gumi pouts childishly, before their eyes turn to me. "What do you think, Rin?"

"I can't go very far without wanting to collapse, you know," I inform carefully. "Like, have you seen me on the stairs? It takes about ten minutes for me to get to the top. My physical stamina has been reduced to that of a granny."

Kaito sighs, putting his head in his hands. "We know," he says, like such a fact is painful to hear. "Rin is right. She can't do much. Maybe we should ask Luka."

The green-haired girl goes to say something else, but decides against it. "Anyway," she begins, changing the topic hastily, "how's your reading going, Rinnie? I swear every time I walk past that room your eyes are glued to the pages of some ancient book."

"I know how to make multiple copies of me to trick people; some sort of feinting technique, I guess. Oh, and I can shoot spears of light which, when they make contact with a human or whatever, will temporarily disable them from movement. Not kill them, of course, but rather stun them. And other things, like all the great kings and queens who had ended _the utterly dreaded dark magic gene_. Woe, woe," I explain all the while stirring my tea with a spoon. "I also learnt that when a dark magic user is under immense stress or danger, it's an automatic defence mechanism to gain the ability of _poison touch_, aka _Tactum Veneno_, which stops the heart of any human being that comes into contact with them. Hence, me being an accidental murderer three times."

Gumi and Kaito nod slowly, and Gumi has her mouth in an 'o' shape. "Well, if such a mechanism comes into play when I'm present about you, please let me know so I _don't_ die," Kaito mentions, his remark somewhat half-serious, half-joking. "Gumi, haven't _you_ been reading some books yourself?"

"Oh, well, Luka showed me some which could help out with my magic, so yes," she answers defensively. "I've learnt a few spells, here and there. You guys will just have to wait and see for the moment I can show you them." Gumi smiles proudly.

"But no books for me, huh?" Kaito says with an exhale.

I sip my tea and state with a straight-face, "No one likes psychics."

"It's true," Gumi pipes up, grinning from behind her piece of toast. "No one wants to help out you guys with developing your powers because you're already annoying enough."

"Well, I can't help it I know all your secrets and your futures and whatnot," Kaito responds, his hand hiding a smirk.

"If only there was a way to make your mind more private," I muse aloud.

Gumi nods in agreement. "Like, put a password on it."

"Yeah. Mine would be: Kaito-is-a-loser. He would never find out, because he can't admit to such an ego-damaging fact that is true," I say with a smile. Gumi snorts.

Kaito frowns. "Now you guys are just being rude," he says. "Be careful, I might tell you who you'll marry."

Gumi leans forward, across the table, towards Kaito. "Ooh, please enlighten me, then I can decide whether he's a good egg or a bad egg," she bluffs. "Actually, I'm curious to see who Rin marries. Does anything come up, Kaito?" She then winks at me.

The boy rolls his eyes with a great amount of sass. "Okay, so—" he pauses to let his eyes ripple a bright aqua colour, "—Rin marries…" He trails off, his expression falling blank, before a mischievous grin stretches across his lips, "…_me_."

Gumi slams her palms on the table, eyes blazing. "You hesitated," she hisses.

Kaito puts his head in his palm and looks at her mock-innocent. "As if I'll spoil poor Rinnie's future. That's for her to discover, you nosey parker. I wouldn't dare pry into her business, and I can't predict correctly such a distant future anyway," he drawls, almost bored.

"But what _did_ you see? From today, now?" I ask, intrigued.

Kaito presses his lips into a thin line. "I can't say."

"What? Was it bad?"

He shakes his head.

"Well, if it isn't bad, why won't you tell us?" Gumi queries, with an eyebrow raised.

"It could affect your true future, what's really supposed to happen," Kaito explains with a peeved sigh, as if we're expected to know this. "Anything between now and then could change the results, and if Rin happens to like these results, then she will avoid any changes and perhaps miss out on a better run of life than this predicted outcome." Gumi opens her mouth to say something more, but before she can argue, Kaito quickly adds, "On the other hand, Luka's just about to walk in the front door."

On cue, the pink-haired women staggers in with her hands full of shopping bags, looking dishevelled. Kaito stands to help her, but she waves him away, dumping the bags on a counter in the kitchen. "Boy," she breathes, turning to us. "That was hectic. How are you guys today?"

We all nod and simultaneously mutter, "Good."

Luka smiles pleasantly, before turning back to the counter to rummage through some bags. She plucks one off the counter and strides over to hand it to me. "I bought you some clothes, Rin. I know they're not anything special but at least you'll have something else to wear, other than my clothes."

I take the bag and take a peek. It looks like a plain blouse and some pants, and other things. "No, that's cool. Thank you," I say with a smile.

Everyone looks at me expectantly. "You gonna try them on, Rin?" Gumi asks, finally, after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Oh, yeah," I answer uncertainly, before standing shakily and hobbling my way into the lounge room. I shut the door behind me and slump onto the couch to regain my strength, before I slowly, yet painfully start peeling off the dress I'm wearing. I pull out the blouse in the bag—white, button-up—and slip it over my shoulders. Then come out the pants, and I wriggle into them while still sitting on the couch. I've gotten really good at getting dressed while sitting, lately.

There's a sweater and a hooded-cloak still in the bag; I choose the cloak, curious to see how it looked. Altar's fashion is indeed _different_… but not a bad different. I like it—it makes me feel like one of those characters from a fantasy-themed film, or something.

I hobble back out of the living room and everyone turns their heads to look at me. "Aw," Gumi says, "can I get some cute clothes, too, Luka? Rin looks too adorable and I'm jealous."

Luka shakes her head with a smile. "Later you two can go shopping. Do they fit alright, Rin?"

"Yeah?" I answer, lifting my arms to check the bagginess. It fits quite well, actually.

She exhales, apparently relieved. "Good. When you're better, we can go out looking for more," she states. "Anyway… I better start cleaning up this place. Meiko and Gakupo will be here in a few days and I don't want them to think I'm some pig." She rolls her eyes and turns away to unpack the rest of her shopping.

I leave the room to change just as Kaito pipes up, offering to help Luka with cleaning. Gumi joins in, so I guess that'll leave me to reading some more of my books—which I don't mind, but I wish I could do a bit more than being a slug all day.

* * *

><p>I must've fallen asleep while reading because I wake up on my bed with a book on my chest and the afternoon sun beaming through the crack in the curtain into my eyelids. Groaning, I sit up slowly, the blood rushing to my head all too quickly. After the dizzy spell passes, I stand and shuffle like a zombie-with-arthritis downstairs.<p>

Luka is reading at the dinner table, her eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. She lifts her head when she hears me nearly fall down the stairs and meets my panicked eyes as I cling to the railing in an awkward position, surprised from the slight slip.

"Hello, Rin," she says in her ever-calm voice. "You just missed the others. I sent them out to buy some more clothes for themselves. I'm assuming they won't be back until around 6."

"Oh," I respond, taking a seat at a chair across from hers.

Luka smiles pleasantly, before her expression changes. "I just remembered!" she exclaims with a sudden excitement, jumping up from the table. It jiggles unsteadily. "Last night I finished the charm I was making for you. It's here somewhere…" She walks over to a drawer to the side, shuffling through the mess on top. "Found it."

She holds up a string with a small object dangling from the end. When she brings it closer, I realise it's some sort of rock with a character engraved in it. "What do you think? It's the best I can do for now. I decided a necklace would be easier, so you can wear it always. Basically, as I said, it essentially disguises any radiation left from your incantations. So, there shouldn't be a problem for that, now," she says with a proud grin.

"Thank you, Luka," I answer carefully, forcing a meek smile as I take the necklace from her. She helps me fasten it around my neck. "How do you know if it's actually working or not?"

Luka taps her nose. "I can detect it myself, actually, and right now I can't feel anything regarding radiation."

"Oh. What does it feel like when you can?" I inquire, curious.

She hesitates, thinking for a moment. "It's like a fuzz in your fingers—a tingle, that's it. It's hard to explain until you've felt it. You can train to sense it or you're born with it… I've trained. It's a long process. Perhaps I can teach you, one day, Rin. It's a handy trick."

"Yeah," I agree slowly, reaching up to touch the rock with my fingers. It's cold, smooth-surfaced.

Luka turns away, plucking other objects from the drawer as well. "And I bought these," she adds, holding up a pair of white gloves. They're long—about elbow length. "When you go out in public, unfortunately you'll have to cover the incantations up. The necklace disguises the radiation, but it can't change your appearance. Most people would assume they're some sort of religious tattoo—as they exist—but some who have studied dark magic will recognise them and that could lead to trouble."

She hands them to me and I pull one onto my arm to see if it fits. They're a bit big on my fingers, but that isn't anything I can't handle. "Thank you so much," I say, trying to sound as appreciative as possible; I'm worried I sometimes don't express what I feel properly, and I don't want to come across as unthankful.

"It's no worries," she replies, her eyes creasing at the sides. Something about her expression seems… off, though.

I frown, concerned, slipping my hand back out of the glove. "Is something the matter?" I query.

Luka shakes her head hastily, the expression disappearing to be replaced with another one of her overly-pleasant smiles. "It's nothing. Do you want some dinner? I think Gumi and Kaito will be eating out anyway."

"Sure," I respond, but I'm still unconvinced. She turns away to start preparing dinner, and I stand still, watching her. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

She freezes, then sighs tiredly. Her back facing me, she states, "Well, it's been on my mind for a few days now, Rin, but why were you so quick to leave your parents without consulting them about your abilities first? I know it's not my business, but it seems suspicious to me. Your parents are magic users as well, no? A lot of magic users don't mind dark magic in the sense it's a tragic, life-destroying thing… After all, you're their daughter."

I bite my lip. "I don't know… I just… couldn't? I feel like I'm a failure, or something. Why is it suspicious?"

Luka's solemn gaze meets mine as she looks back at me. "But… you went and stayed with complete strangers. And never once did you not consider going home? You would've known how worried your parents are, Rin. It's just strange that you found it so hard to go and see them _once_, you know. I'm just worried…" she trails off, pressing her lips tightly shut as if she can't say what she was about to say next.

"What?" I question anxiously.

She turns away again. "Did anyone mention Meiko's abilities, besides her being a vampire?" she asks quietly. I shake my head. "Well, you know with any kind of vampire they have some sort of manipulative power—Meiko does too. And I'm… _worried_…to say the least, that she might have been using it on you."

I blink, my mouth running dry.

"I wouldn't be surprised if your discovery was predicted by Kaito, and that everything was a plan from day one to persuade you to come here. Sometimes I don't trust Meiko… she's done chary things in the past, anyway. She could be plotting to use you for something, Rin. And I believe they've known about your abilities for a while, even before you," she murmurs. I feel sick in the head, somewhat, so I move carefully to the dinner table to take a seat. "I'm not trying to scare you or put ideas into your head. But Rin, you're… unique. You have a kind of power that's rather rare to come across. There are indeed upcoming problems someone like you could face, but your power can be used for other things. After all, dark magic users also have wanted signs all over them. It's a very dangerous topic, and in situations such as these, people can grow greedy."

My voice is gone, lost somewhere in my throat. I stare at Luka's back in slight disbelief. I don't want to agree with what she's saying… But my actions these past days were quite abrupt and a little unlike me.

Sometime, after a moment of silence, my voice returns. "What's Meiko's power?"

"Well, I don't know for sure or not… but I've seen her use it, and I believe it's a mind control ability. Something about manipulating thoughts, which would explain why you were so… rash," she clarifies unconfidently. "Don't ask me why she would use it. I don't know why she'd want you exactly—if it's for good or bad reasons. Meiko is a bit shady like that. She betrayed many people in the past, even the ones she supposedly loved. She probably only kept in the good books with me because I'm of use to her, somewhat."

Luka seems bitter, which I'm guessing is because she must hold something against Meiko.

I don't want to believe what she's saying is true, but since I've been away from Meiko, my mind feels clearer—and I feel like I don't trust her as much as I did back in Tokyo. I feel fear, too, for what she is planning for me.

"She did mention to me that I'll be of use, for when that 'great evil being' predicted comes or whatever…" I say slowly. "But she also romanticised my power, a little. How brilliant it is—how the government is only making it out to be what it is to instil fear in the hearts of people and gain control—that I don't have to follow the path of bloodlust like the rest of those with the same abilities as mine. Was dark magic very common? Is it terrible, or just misunderstood?"

Luka places something on the stove and turns back to me, wiping her hands on her apron. "Did she tell you exactly what the predictions are?" I shake my head and she presses her lips together, grave, before taking a seat across from me. She clasps her hands, thinking.

"Five hundred years ago, a great psychic king on his deathbed predicted that the peace of Altar shall not last. A great power shall take over the Kalhan and create a great war, a revolution, and there would be much devastation. No one believed the king at the time, until an odd 250 years later a handful of other psychics began to predict that same future. Slowly the number of predictions escalated and now, most of well-developed psychics can see this future. The thing is; no one knows anything more. When it is, we don't know. Who does it, we don't know. Why it happens, we don't know. We don't even know what happens after the event. We can't exactly make a judgement on whether it is truly a _great evil_ which takes this action, or a _great benevolence _that creates an even better Altar. They are fearful of the outcome of the war, but with great change comes great sacrifice, and it may necessarily not be a bad thing."

"Do you believe the predictions, Luka?" I question.

She sighs. "There is no denying it won't happen if so many people can see it," she reasons. "However, sometimes I believe it could be a distraction from an even bigger problem. While everyone is running around freaking out about this future, there is no doubt we could miss something even more important. It could be a trap. There are powerful, powerful beings capable of such a thing to create false predictions to draw away people's concentration from an issue—it's happened before. Perhaps, the Kalhan could even be responsible for it."

I frown. "Do you think the Kalhan are evil?"

Luka looks at me with scary seriousness. "Similar to dark magic's situation, people with great power become increasingly greedy and corrupted. So I can't say no, but I'm not saying that they are. The way the government is run nowadays is questionable, but people ignore it, because the last time someone spoke up about it—well, let's ensure that it didn't go by unpunished. Originally, all of the major leaders of Altar had particular control of the government, but I believe only 10% of our leaders today have a say at all. There are conspiracy theories that the government is being controlled, like puppets, by someone behind the scenes—a great someone. And that may be the evil we fear."

Luka then stands up to resume cooking, and I sit at the table for a while in deep thought. When I get up to go to the bathroom, though, Luka calls my name and I stop.

"Before they get home," she begins, obviously referring to the troublesome two, "I'd just like to advise that you should probably avoid mentioning anything we talked about today. While I don't believe Meiko has mentioned any of her ulterior plans to them, I don't want them blabbing to her about what I've said, because I quite like my neck the way it is, if you get me."

I nod to the wall, not looking back at her. "I understand."

Then I leave the room.

* * *

><p>We don't speak about our previous discussion over dinner, and act as normal when Kaito and Gumi come home. I stay up in my room reading most of the night, and once the others head off to bed, I sneak carefully downstairs and sit in the lounge room and stare out the window. A part of me—a part I'm not sure whether is cowardly or brave—wants to climb out the window and run away into the night, and just forget everything. Part of me fears what Meiko is planning, if she really is planning anything, and another part of me wants to delve further into the conspiracies and secrets of Altar.<p>

If I'm supposedly going to be of much use, I want to get a head start before everyone else.

Unfortunately, my thoughts of my secret getaway are interrupted as my brief and possibly clumsy movements to the lounge room wake Luka up. She appears in the doorway, apparently wide-awake. She doesn't say anything, but just takes a seat across from me and follows my gaze to the window.

I decide to break the silence between us. "All the so-called history books of dark magic," I start quietly, "only cover history of those who ruined lives with it. Does it have any actual real history?"

Luka chuckles lightly, apparently amused my remark. "Of course, but those were disposed of or locked away when the laws banning dark magic came into place, to make sure people forgot it's true purpose," she explains.

"True purpose?" I echo.

She leans back into her chair, giving the implication that this will be another lengthy explanation—not that I mind, much. "The six first kings of Altar all had their own significant abilities, and are the beginning of all magic. No one knows about Altar's history before them, and while there are many theories, no one can find solid proof for one. Most of us believe Altar was just a place without monarchies, but chaos gave the reason for the six kings to rise and take order.

"Kageria is the first initial for Kalhan. King Kageria was considered the leader of leaders, a user of Caelego. He ruled the Northern Kingdom, now known as the _Maledicta Terra_. He was powerful, wise and intimidating. His brother, Acterahn, was the user of Norhsoea. He is the second initial. He ruled the Great Middle Kingdom, otherwise known as the countries of Mannes and Yetnir today—in which, Hysteral is on the border of Mannes and Yetnir. Acterahn was a bit childish, but compassionate, and often he would try to compete with Kageria in terms of ruling.

"Largaan is the third initial, and was the king of the Elfen. He once ruled the Mersary Kingdom, still known as it is today. He was quite mysterious, but also wise. He disappeared shortly after 20 years of ruling, however, and his role was handed over to his daughter. Hannis, the fourth, ruled the Rourgis Kingdom and was the king of the Warbeast. Rourgis is now known as _Warebeist Terra_, a province in the Mersary Kingdom. He was strong and probably a little bit too proud. He was the most feared king, at the time. Artemis, the fifth initial, was the ruler of the Southern Kingdom, and the king of the Alatum. The Alatum people are supposedly the only race that no longer exists out of the entire six main races that were, due to a great uprising against their kingdom by Hannis and Acterahn, as they feared that Artemis was planning something against the other five kings. They were the most mysterious race; as they were secluded from the rest of the other kingdoms, but Artemis was said to be the kindest king of them all. The Southern Kingdom is now called _Terra Sterilis._ No one lives there because of the hostile conditions.

"Last but not least, Nortuus. He was the ruler of the Indignus Kingdom, and the ruler of humans. Let's not forget that there are people who are born without magic. Nortuus was one—a son to a powerful Norhsoean family who ended up as the only one powerless. Due to financial issues, the Indignus Kingdom soon was assimilated into part of what was the Great Middle Kingdom, and the human race on Altar has either spread out or have moved on to Earth. As you probably know, humans aren't that popular here."

I nod steadily, taking her explanation in carefully. "Okay…" Too many names. And also, too much stuff I don't know. "Who are—were—the Alatum?" I then ask. "And what's… Caelego, or whatever?"

Luka turns her head to look back out the window. "From what was known about the Alatum people, they were people with wings and supposedly psychic powers. Scientific research shows a lot of modern psychics can be traced back to the Alatum—it's a possibility some may have survived the uprising and bred with other races, such as Norhsoean and Elfen. People feared them because they didn't understand their abilities and assumed they were cursed or fallen angels because of their appearances. Their wings weren't very useful due to wing span to body ratio, and they had an extreme resistance to the bitter cold weather of _Terra Sterilis_," she describes. Her gaze softens. "Apparently they were very beautiful people."

Her eyes flick back to mine. "Caelego is something I wouldn't expect you to know. It lost its meaning a long time ago. Most people don't know it's something that exists—or, well, existed." She pauses, thinking. "King Kageria and his brother's histories are still unknown. They just appeared, and were awfully powerful. People often described them as opposites, yin and yang, because they contrasted so much with appearance, ability and personality. As before mentioned, Acterahn used Norhsoean magic, a high level not many see today. It _was_ deadly. Kageria, however, used Caelego—that is, what we call dark magic. People did not refer to dark magic as 'dark magic', it was just Caelego, another ability just like all other abilities out there. Caelego was just as popular as Norhsoean. It is dark magic's purest form—the ability you were born with. Rin, Caelego is the magic you use. The other kind of dark magic, the most impure kind, is the kind you can develop—but that was introduced by the Cadavers, and was referred to as Daemonia much later on in the story. Caelego is nothing to fear. Nobody feared it in the ancient times. Like all magic, it has the potential to destroy—or the potential to create. It just depends on how you use it."

"Oh," I say gently, my voice sounding distant.

"King Kageria was very successful. As was his children, and his children's children, and his children's, children's children; vice versa. No one questioned the use of it, until… Well, things happened—a war of in result of underlying built up hatred and jealousy, perhaps. Kageria's descendants and Acterahn's descendants didn't get along well, and soon they were competing against each other to prove which was the best kingdom and ability. Their war created great devastation, as Acterahn's descendants were no match against Kageria's descendants. So in desperation, Norhsoeans introduced the Cadavers to retaliate, and with the Cadavers they destroyed the Northern Kingdom and brought a bad name to Caelego. Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Not yet.

"A few centuries later, a mysterious person who went by the name of 'Caligo' appeared. They were extremely, extremely powerful—rumoured to be even more powerful than King Kageria. The falling of the Northern Kingdom and the way Caelegians were treated at that time must have angered them, and they began to attack multiple places, taking down Acterahn's royal family. I was born around this time. Soon Caligo began to attack other kingdoms, countries, and places; blinded by anger and insatiability. It appeared that they did not want justice. They wanted control.

"That began the Great War, in which Meiko and I met and fought in. It went on for many years; so many lives were lost… More corrupted Caelegians emerged with Caligo and soon the government had to ban Caelego entirely. Innocent people born to dark magic were slain due to this. Everyone with the ability of Caelego, or working with the Caelegians, was brutally executed. Finally, after 150 years of fighting, Caligo was stopped. They just disappeared. The war ended. I don't know whether they died, or what else. I don't truly know what Caligo was; if they were a supposed God seeking revenge, a wish spiralled out of control, or if they were extremely talented like the King. Some people assumed Caligo was a soldier sent from the heavens to fix our mistakes, other people believed Caligo was sent from the Underworld. Sometimes, I like to think Caligo had good intentions, but was just driven to madness by people's ignorance and—oh, I don't know—it's hard to say, really.

"After the war, Caelego was given the nickname of dark magic, which would stick and replace its previous prestigious and notorious name. I suppose people wanted to forget what it was, because they feared that if they let Caelegians live normally again, history could repeat again."

I swallow, processing Luka's story. "That's… scary. And tragic," I murmur. "If only time travel existed, so I could change that… or something."

Luka chuckles briefly, dipping her head. "Well, we eradicated the race that was probably capable of that, too," she comments. The Alatum? "Altar's history wasn't a smart history. While humans have deadly bombs, and guns, and weapons, we have magic. And sometimes, magic doesn't like magic." She sighs. "Maybe one day, Rin, you could change that. Or try to, anyway. If you do, let me know so I can help you."

"Maybe I will," I agree softly.

I think I like Luka. Maybe not her aggressive love of the colour pink, but I like her otherwise.

* * *

><p><strong>Luka, honestly all you do is talk (k I'm sorry I'll try to limit explanations from now on but we're still early and Rin has no fecking idea what's going on)<strong>

**oh yeah HI IT IS I! PIRILUK. HAS RETURNED. this may have come out quicker if I didn't go on holidays straight after I finished school but I did and I only got back the other day so forgive me for my great time of non-updating. however, I shall continue updating more often throughout December and January because I am FREE. until school begins again. (R.I.P it's my last year I'm going to die.) **

**sorry if this was a bit rushed with the explanations but I really wanted to finish this chapter and mooooove onnnn ;_; because it gets more exciting than Rin being like physically impaired and all. more characters are going to be introduced and all that jazz. and drama. and bad ass magical girl fighting (ok, I dunno about that part, but maybe).**

**as my making up for being so laze with updating this chapter is a lot longer (nearly 7k woohoo! my a/n will probably make it 7k tho.)**

**do love me guys. please do leave reviews on what you thinkkkkk as I love you all dearly yes and chapter 5 = 50 yes 5 x 10 = 50 right am I right I do mathematics I'm smart huehue. (I'm jking... but not really).**

**oki goodnight. I must do the sleep. and then I shall finish Sailor Moon. and re-watch Kill la Kill and relight my burning passion for Ryuko. (I am gay 5 her). and think about being productive like cooking bc there is no delicious food in this house (i.e. Japanese food as I always feel like Japanese but alas I have stupid Australian sandwiches, help me.)**


	7. Chapter 6

OHMYGOD IT'S FINALLY UP AGHHHH

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><p><strong>6<strong>

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><p>The day before Meiko and Gakupo are due to arrive; Luka comes by my room to give me something: a black, flat object—like a disk, but thicker in width. I look at it, then look at her, then look back at it.<p>

"What is it?" I ask.

She holds a finger to her lips, leans forward and whispers, "For a quick escape—if you want to make your future your own, Rin. Just between you and me." Luka then pulls away, winks, and leaves without another word.

Well, that was undeniably weird and creepy. I examine the strange object, sliding my fingers over the smooth surface. A low hum emits from it. It feels heavy in my hand, like if I were to throw it, it would make a hole in the wall. (Not that I would do that, but…)

My nail hits a dip in the surface and I flick my finger upwards, finding a lid. It pops open, revealing a small ball in a cradle, with lines and shapes drawn across it like a… map? Degrees are lined up against the lines and the shapes seem somewhat familiar. A little screen is displayed on the side, also reading degrees and the cardinal directions, which change every time you shift the ball.

The design almost reminds me of a globe. However, the shapes on it don't look like Earth's landmasses. Perhaps, they could be the continents on… Altar…?

I frown. _A quick escape_…

I fumble to find a map in one of the books I have stacked on the bedside table, then bring the design on the knob up against it to compare. It _is_ a map of Altar. I pinpoint each place, biting my lip with concentration and confusion.

Above the small ball, there's an arrow which points to a location on the map-like surface. That must be the location of the degrees and directions shown on the side. So if I point to where Hysteral would be on the map-thing, it would give me the approximate latitude and longitude of its location on Altar?

I check the numbers given by the ball with the map in my book; and it's roughly accurate. So this gives you the latitude and longitude for each place on the globe? What use is that for?

_Unless_…

I flip the object over, trying to find if it had any extra information on it. On the bottom side, written in tiny letters aside, are the worlds, '_Ianuae Magicae_'. Underneath, '_Re-locator_'.

The name is familiar; I've heard Dad mention something about it before. _Re-locator_. Meaning, Luka gave me… a teleportation device? Is she trying to get me to run away?

But why?

She did say, 'for a quick escape,'—however, I'm not sure whether she's referring to imminent danger, or…? What does she even mean by, 'if you want to make your future your own'? Is my future here doomed?

I hear someone's footsteps and I hastily shove the disc under my pillow. There's a soft tap on the door, and it creaks open to reveal Gumi. "Oh, that looks cute," she compliments on the dress I'm wearing. We went shopping yesterday, as my health has improved significantly over the past few days, and I managed to find a few extra things to wear. I wasn't overly fond of the dress, but Luka essentially forced me to buy it, so.

"You think? I think it's a bit… too princess-y, if you get me," I respond, patting at the skirt. It's strapless, white and has an unhealthy amount of frills and bows.

Gumi shakes her head. "Rin, if you killed someone in that dress, they'd still probably think you're adorable as they lay in their own pool of blood."

"I'm not sure whether that's a good thing, Gumi," I state.

She grins, patting me on the head. I evasively lean backwards, so her fingers only brush at the ribbon in my hair. "Anyway, that's not why I came here to talk to you," she says, her eyes sparkling with suspicious enthusiasm. "Your brother goes to that, um, Crypton Scholae Elite Magicae, right?"

"Right," I answer slowly, wondering why she's brought this up.

"Well, it's in Mersary, right? It's like, in the middle, or something," Gumi continues. I shrug and nod—I know it's somewhere in Mersary; Mum and Dad mentioned it, once, when they were on the topic of his graduation ceremony. His graduation ceremony would mean we would have a reason to travel to Altar and attend it. I guess I'll be missing out on it, though. "Mersary is on the west of Mannes, so maybe we can visit him sometime, Rin. I mean, you miss him, don't you?"

I blink as a certain anxiety sets over me. I forgot Len was wandering somewhere out there—that he could possibly see me, _me now_—and not to mention, it would be suspicious that supposedly-normal Rin Kagamine, his twin sister, would just show up at his school for a _visit_.

"Yes, of course I miss him—but Gumi, you don't understand. I shouldn't even be here in the first place, it would just be pure weird to turn up at his school without Mum or Dad—and he can't see me like _this._" I gesture to the incantations and my overall spindly, weak-looking body. "Heavens, Mum and Dad could have already contacted him somehow about me missing. I'd love to see Len again, but not as me. Not now."

Gumi's eyebrows furrow. I already know she wants to see the school—not for the sake of my brother, but for the sake of her curiosity. "Right. Okay. That makes sense. I'm sorry."

I shake my head. "It's fine. You can always go with someone else, though; to look at it, I mean. I'd rather not run the risk of him seeing me. You know…"

"I know," she answers gently. "It's just… _sad_, Rin. You're so scared of seeing the people you love because of what you are. Are you ever going to see _them_—your _family_, Rin? _Ever?_ Because you're going to be this way for the rest of your life, you know."

And Gumi is correct. But I don't know what to do. To be honest, I haven't looked into the future. I don't even want to think about my future because… I don't want to know what it holds for me. It's terrifying.

I sigh. "I'll think about it when I get there."

She stares at me for a while, her lips pressed into a fine line as if she's trying to stop herself from speaking any more. Eventually, Gumi leaves, silent.

* * *

><p>The day was spent cleaning and fixing things for Meiko and Gakupo. The thought of seeing Meiko again after what Luka told me makes me feel sick inside.<p>

I'm surrounded by all these people who I feel like I shouldn't trust. The thing is, I can't tell what they have for me. And none of them understand how I feel in this current situation, with dark magic and all.

I would like to trust Luka, but what happens if she's lying as well? I mean, she gave me that teleporting thing, but… why would she encourage me to run away? It's not like I have anywhere to go to. Altar is completely alien to me. Or, well, maybe _I'm_ the alien.

It's hard to sleep with all these emotions and thoughts whirring through my head. I'm fearful for tomorrow, to be true. I'm homesick. I want to be normal again. I want to run away, hide and forget my name— but where? Where? Where can I go? There's nowhere to escape to without running the risk of being caught. Unless…

I sit up in my bed and flick on the lamp, plucking a history book from the top of the pile. I flip it open and find the pages with the map of Altar, scanning the unfamiliar terrain etched onto the paper. The Northern Kingdom—_Maledicta Terra_—is supposedly uninhabited. The only people who go there are those who want to look at the devastation; tourists would be a better word. It's illegal to reside there, but it's not like anyone would bother checking—I mean, it's the land of the evil, right?

The Northern Kingdom connects partially to the top of Mannes, Yetnir and Mersary. It reaches up into the very northern point of Altar; at its north pole. So, it would be pretty cold…

…which I don't mind, I just wish I had more sufficient clothing (which I don't).

The escape is being taken into heavy consideration by my wild and tired mind: I don't know how I'd survive, but surviving isn't my top priority. I'd rather decide on my own fate. And if that means my inevitable death, that's fine; it's not like I really have any reason to live, anyway.

…Truthfully, I want something _more _from all of this.

I want the rush.

A way I can find myself.

I stand quietly from the edge of my bed and sneak downstairs to take some food from the refrigerator and pantry. (Sorry, Luka, but you encouraged it.) Then, I take anything else, like medicine or bandages, just in case. After sneaking back upstairs, I pack in the food and other things, my personal belongings, and the books I think would come in handy (I'll return them, someday) into a bag.

I change into some _reasonable_ clothes for the expected weather; tight-fitting pants, a blouse, a sweater, then my cloak and gloves last. I slip into a pair of new lace-up boots (which I'll admit, I'm quite fond of and may never take off), fix my hair before pulling my hood up over my head and open back up to the map in the history book from earlier.

The coordinates for the ruins of The Northern Kingdom's capital city, Lentere, are 57°E, 11°W. Carefully, I move the globe so the arrow is pointing to those exact coordinates. It buzzes lowly in my hand, energy radiating through it. I don't even know how this works. What happens if it turns out like last time, when we came here—or worse?

I prepare all my things and put on my bag, taking deep breaths. A certain anxiety has snuck up; reinforcing hesitation over what I'm doing is right or not. Probably not. I stare down at the black disk in my hands, listening to the hum.

To set off the teleportation process, I think you have to press the globe down—like a button, you lock it in, or something. But I'm not sure. Anyway, if that isn't it, it's not like I'm going to die.

…Right?

Right.

I carefully position my thumb on the ball, keeping it still. I inhale, slowly and deeply, closing my eyes to calm myself. It'll be quick. If I die, hopefully that'll be quick as well.

The noise of someone's abrupt footsteps startles me, and I jump. In reaction to my surprise, my thumb twitches and sloppily digs into the globe, and with horror I watch the numbers move further south than my intended direction while the teleportation device starts to buzz madly in my hand.

A light spills from the disk, engulfing my arm rapidly, and spreading like wildfire across the surface of my skin.

"Shi—"

It reaches my eyes, blinding me, and for a moment I can see nothing but white, and can hear nothing but the blood rushing in my ears.

* * *

><p>I stumble forward, dizzy, my eyes adjusting to the starlit road I find myself on. It's long, grey and dusty, and there are no signs of life. I let myself drop to my knees, the world spinning and turning black and blue, trying to regain my composure. Eventually, the spell fades, and I feel partially whole again; becoming aware of my surroundings and the sensation of my knees digging into the sharp rocks on the ground. A dark night sky stretches overhead, little white orbs twinkling down at me.<p>

"Oh God," I murmur, realising I'm not where I want to be—and that I've lost the darn Teleporter along the way.

Shakily, I fall back onto the ground. My finger slipped and shifted the globe accidentally, so I ended up somewhere else—I don't know where, but not near Lentere, I don't think. I didn't catch the numbers before I ended up here—and I can't tell which direction I'm facing, so I can't tell which way is north or south. If I knew my directions, I could walk to the nearest city and find out where I am. If I had the Teleporter, I could fix the coordinates and then reattempt teleporting to Lentere.

I press the palms of my hands against my face and sigh wearily. There are teleportation spells; but too high level for me. It'd be stupid to even try.

All I can do is wait, I guess. It's fortunate I'm on a road—hopefully it's one that _someone_ uses, so I can ask for directions. But who knows when someone will come past here? I suppose… if I stick to the road and follow it, it'll lead me somewhere—or to somebody.

I look up at the night sky. It's still late—if I headed west, it'd be a few hours behind Hysteral, meaning there's still an extra few hours of night-time. There's no use walking now when I should probably sleep; I'd just over exhaust myself.

It's warmer than what I originally dressed for, so I slip off my sweater and use it as a pillow, and my cloak as a blanket. At least the ground is grassy and not dirt, making it the slightest bit more bearable. Hugging my bag to my chest, I stare off out into the distance through the blades of grass. The darkness stares back, like an abyss in the sky; but it's probably the mountains, hiding the stars lighting the night sky.

I want to reach out and pluck them from the black blanket over my head, and string them into a necklace of my childhood wishes.

This is definitely not like Tokyo.

* * *

><p>"Yoo-hoo! <em>Yoo-hoo!<em> Hello, are we awake down there?"

I sit up with a yelp as something wet slides across my face, panicking at the unfamiliar scenery surrounding me. It's early morning—I'm still on the side of the road where I ended up last night. A man on some strange camel-slash-horse-like creature peers down at me, an eyebrow raised.

"If you sleep too close to the path, you'll get run over! Lucky I saw you, huh," he says with a chuckle, pushing his glasses up his nose.

I blink groggily, wiping my face. "Sorry," I apologise meekly. I go to move out of his way, but pause as a thought comes to my sleepy mind. "A-actually, I have to ask you something. Would you happen to know which direction the closest city is?"

The man hums in thought, staring off into the distance. "Well, I'm on my way to Fernhood, which is the capital of South Mersary. Back there," he points over his shoulder, "is the seaside town of Weller Port. It depends on what you mean by 'city'—Fernhood is nowhere near the size of the capital of North Mersary, but it's the biggest city in South Mersary. So I think that's what you'd most likely be looking for."

Len's school is somewhere on the border of North and South Mersary—I should be careful.

"Oh," I say. "Thank you. I think I'll head that way, then."

"Are you a traveller?" the man then asks.

I stand, slipping my cloak back on and packing away my sweater. "Um, not really. I'm not from here—I got lost, so…"

He nods, musing. "I _can_ fit another passenger on the back, here, if you want," he tells me. "It's not too far. About an hour on beast, but it'll take you way longer if you go by foot."

"You would?" I ask, but I'm still hesitant. Agreeing to ride on a stranger's pet all the while pressed up against them…?

_Well_…

I can't exactly _stay_ here. It'll just get too hot and sunny, and there are no trees to hide under for miles.

The man smiles pleasantly, nodding. "I made the offer, did I not?"

I cave. "Thank you _so_ much," I gush, as he pulls me up behind him. It's uncomfortable—and weird, very weird—but _bear_able.

"So tell me, how did you end up this way, anyhow? You are quite in the middle of nowhere," he states as we set off along the path. I'm trying my best to avoid breathing on him, all the while not trying to fall off the back of the… whatever this thing is.

I laugh nervously to myself. "It… was a mistake. I was supposed to teleport somewhere else—but it went wrong and I ended up out here…" I explain.

"Hmm, teleportation? I never knew you would be capable of such a high-class spell—your magic aura is practically non-existent."

Magic aura? "What? Uh—well, I used a… one of those teleportation things, and my finger slipped last minute—and I must have left it behind, so I couldn't just recalibrate it and try again." Is the magic aura kind of like what radiation is?

—But rather, it's more an ability to be able to detect _any_ kind of magic and what level it's at…? Maybe.

"Ah, the _Ianuae Magicae_? Interesting. Those are quite rare, nowadays. They stopped manufacturing them about… 70 years ago, I believe? It's amazing that you could've even gotten your hands on one," he comments.

"Oh, well, someone gave it to me… I'm not really knowledgeable regarding this stuff at all… I'm quite clueless, really."

The man laughs. "I guessed that." He stops to stare off into the distance. "By the way, what's your name?"

Should I be honest…? I feel like he'd pick up on it if I was being dishonest. "It's Rin," I tell him. "Yours?"

"Kiyoteru," he answers. "Kiyoteru Hiyama. I own a bookstore back in Weller Port, but I write reports on magic aura as well, since it's my specialty. I often travel between Fernhood and Weller Port for trading purposes." He pauses. "And you? What do you do? Forgive me for asking, but are you still in school?"

I blink. "Huh? Oh. Yes. I am. I mean, I _was_, uh, I would be now if I still was—but things became… complicated. I went to school back on Earth, but then… magic and Earth don't mix very well."

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, it's not every day you meet someone from there… Not many who travel to Earth come back, to be true. It's too difficult—unless you're planning to study magic here. But even those are rare. It seems the human life is more appealing," he says with a bland sigh. "Are _you_ here to study?"

"No, no, no—I, um, it's… personal."

Kiyoteru squints his eyes. "Hmm, that sounds suspicious."

"To be honest, I came here for the sake of someone else's request," I clarify carefully. "But I didn't like what they were doing so I… ran away. It wasn't a very well thought-out plan, though. I know nothing about this place…"

"It wasn't a very well thought-out plan indeed," he agrees. "Do you have any idea on what you're going to do, now? You wouldn't have just run away with no real intent for the future."

I hesitate, staring off over the fields. "I don't know—it was something like discovering more about myself. Maybe some stupid stuff, like saving the world—that sort of thing—I doubt it'll happen, I mean… it's just silly."

"Is it? Surely the idea is quite ambiguous, but saving the world isn't _impossible_… there are many things that could be considered 'saving the world', no?"

He… has a point.

"Perhaps 'discovering more about yourself' is the key to 'saving the world' in your eyes, if you think about it," he continues. I'm not sure if I agree, but he's certainly… wise. He clears his throat, his mind on something else. "Ah, here we are. Over there, you see those buildings by the mountain? That's Fernhood. Do you know much about it?"

I'm startled, to say the least, by the sudden change of subject. "Oh, um, no—I don't…"

The look on Kiyoteru's face tells me he's about to launch into an age-long explanation. Great. Do all old people from Altar do this? I'm starting to see a pattern.

"Well," he begins, "it's a pretty old city. It was originally set up as a holiday-like settlement for the early royal family, when Mersary was identified as just one kingdom. Soon, however, more people took a liking to it and it grew… Since the kingdom divided, it was made into the capital city for South Mersary since it already had a castle and that built by the previous royal family. Now the successor to the Hatsune family holds the throne—she's young, only about 19, I think, but so far, I haven't any complaints. South Mersary has more of a mixture of Elfen and Norhsoean, whereas North Mersary is more so Elfen and Warbeast."

"Interesting…" I murmur (but I'm really not that interested).

"There is more than just that," he tells me, "but I might talk you to sleep before we even get there. Perhaps you should do some research at the libraries there. They always have decent summaries of Mersary's history."

Thank you for acknowledging that.

"Um… I have a question," I ask after a few minutes of silence. He jerks an eyebrow up to show he's listening. "Someone I know attends this… elite school? Somewhere around here—I think it was on the border between North and South Mersary from memory?"

Kiyoteru hums. "Ah, I think I know which one you're talking about. Crypton Scholae Elite Magicae?"

"Right. That. Yes," I say. "How close is Fernhood to it?"

He presses his lips together in thought. "It's literally on the other side of the mountain. There's a road which takes you through there—it's about a day's walk. It's in the town of Crypton, which overlaps a little with Fernhood due to the growing population of both places. Occasionally some students might come here during their weekends or breaks, or on excursions if any; you'll notice them in their glary outfits…"

I tune out from his description of the students, because the slightest chance of running into Len sends alarms off in my head. I mean, it's _slim_, but knowing _my_ run of luck…

"Are you thinking of visiting that person?" Kiyoteru then inquires.

"No. No. Definitely not," I blurt. "It's more so avoiding them with all I can."

He pulls a face, apparently amused by my answer. "I'm guessing that's personal, too?" I nod stiffly. Wait, did he just roll his eyes at me? "Well, I doubt you'll see them, as I said it's really only _occasionally_. However if you go by Crypton, you might want to take the outer route, because there's a likely chance you'll see them since the town centre is practically where they all rendezvous and loiter like bad smells."

I smile a little at the interesting metaphor. "Thanks for the advice."

"No worries, Miss Rin," he responds.

* * *

><p>When we reach fernhood, Kiyoteru drops me in the town square.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want me to pay anything? Anything at all?" I question with a frown while he's tying his beast-thing to a post. (I asked him earlier about it and apparently it's called a Porlooty or something like that—a common method of travel if you don't want to go by cart and can't afford any public transport.)

He just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "It's nothing; I think you need to save what you have for more important matters, anyhow," he says.

I hesitate. "When I can, I'll come by your bookstore and repay you someday. What's it called?"

"Hiyama Book Services," he answers.

I give him a smile. "Alright. Thank you for everything. I'll be sure to see you again—well, if nothing happens to me."

He grins back. "I'm sure nothing will. Good luck on your ambitions, Rin."

"Thank you."

Without another second passing, Kiyoteru grabs his backpack and leaves in a rush, disappearing into a store across the street.

…_Now_.

What do I even do here? I didn't even think about this. I haven't got any money, so I can't buy food—I just have to eat what I've got, I guess. Nor can I find somewhere to stay, or stock up on other things that might help me actually get somewhere. Lentere would be too far away to walk to—I wouldn't survive on just what I have.

In a way, I want to call Mum on my phone and beg, "Please take me home…"

But it's impossible, and I… can't.

No matter what situation, I just can't bear the thought of Mum or Dad or Len seeing me like this.

Even though I know they love me, and I know they'd be there for me, I can't help but feel like I'll just disappoint them. Or I'll make them feel unsafe…

I end up just walking around numbly in the town centre, looking at the buildings and shops and people. I'd never really seen Elfen before—and there's a large majority here. They're strangely beautiful; with angular features and complex incantations that contrast with the earthy colours of their eyes and hair.

The buildings seem to be made out of marble—or something like that. The architecture is a little similar to the Roman's; intricate designs carved into every pillar and sill around. There also seems to be a lot more nature integrated into the city centre—which reminds me, aren't Elfen closely connected with the natural environment? I guess they have to cater to the Norhsoean population, _too_, though…

I'm too busy taking in my surroundings when I run into someone rushing past. The pile of books they're carrying spills across the footpath as my shoulder collides their arm. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," they blurt out, panicking, scrambling to pick up their books.

"No, no, I'm sorry—I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking," I apologise meekly, collecting the books at my feet and handing it to them.

It's a girl—Elfen, too. But I don't notice it at first because she's wearing a scarf around her head. Her aqua eyes blink as she registers me. "Thank you very much," she gushes, a pretty smile gracing her lips.

"It's no worries—" I go to say, but she's already off, apparently in a rush.

…Weird.

I shake off the moment and walk further until I reach a library. There's honestly nothing else I can do, so I decide to pass the time by reading books. They don't have much regarding dark magic, but there are some interesting reports on different kinds of Elven magic. I don't know—the information might come in handy someday.

"Ma'am," one of the librarians address, appearing beside my chair, after a few hours of being engulfed in books. "The library is about to close, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

…Great. I forgot places had closing times.

I return the books back to their places and roll back out onto the street. The streets are practically empty—but the few people returning home. The sun has already begun to set, meaning it'll get dark, soon.

It's different from Tokyo—a place which never sleeps. People are busy rushing back home to live their life, whereas the city just seems to be bustling with activity all night. I'm guessing there are no 24-hour restaurants open, are there?

I find myself sidling up beside some boxes in an alleyway. It's only then I realise how hungry I am. I haven't really eaten anything since yesterday. The food I packed is basic, really—some bread, butter, cheese—nothing to rave about. But I need to eat, still.

I guess I'm going to have to spend a while on the streets after all, huh?

After I finish my food, I curl up into a ball and dwell in some self-pity until I eventually fall asleep.

* * *

><p>I'm awoken by the sound of many voices.<p>

It's only probably eight in the morning. I scramble to recollect myself as people walk past, staring at me like I'm a nudist trampling on their parade. I guess homeless people are not so much a thing here?

"The Queen is doing an announcement?" a child's excited voice squeaks as a family shuffles past.

My mind is still fuzz as I stand and sling my bag over my shoulder. I decide to see what all the fuss is about. I stagger after the trail of people walking into the town centre, squinting at the bright morning sun.

They gather in a courtyard outside a hall, and I take note of the copious amount of security standing around keeping patrol. At least a thousand or so people have piled up into the small space, and I struggle to see over their heads.

I'm curious to see this Queen, whoever she is. And necessarily, what's there that's so important to have a public announcement about? Or is this a regular thing? I always thought people of royalty shut themselves away and avoided public appearances.

A silence falls over the crowd as a petite female appears on the balcony overhead. She's very pretty; with long teal hair, twinkling turquoise eyes and a broad smile. Evidently, she looks Elfen; there are small incantations on her forehead and neck, and her ears are pointed.

Actually… she seems quite… familiar?

"Hello, everyone!" she greets calmly. (Okay, I _swear_ I've seen her _somewhere_. I can't figure out where, though. A poster? A book? Maybe.) "Thank you for coming, today. I've decided to make a public appearance, finally, since there has been lack of close communication between the royal family and the public for quite some time after the death of my father."

She pauses for the crowd to mutter things like, "May he rest in peace."

"Therefore, I'm making an appearance today to enlighten you on some things I am planning to make Fernhood a much more prosperous and radiant city."

The people applaud her, and the Queen just stands there, beaming and looking pleasant.

"As you may know, the agricultural community has been struggling since the last drought this year. I'm working towards a way to make retrieving fresh water and other requirements for farming easier, by improving the trade between Fernhood, Weller Port, Kwellston, Hysteral and Mink Hyrale so that we can meet these needs, and aim to install an energy efficient water system which connects to the wetlands in North Mersary—of course, with permission," she elaborates.

While everyone is occupied with her speech, my eyes catch someone slipping around the edge of the crowd across the courtyard. It's hard not to spot them in their dark cloak moving amongst the brightly-clothed Mersarians; it seems quite… suspicious, actually. I check to see whether the guards are paying attention to this—they're too busy staring at the Queen as well.

So-called security, huh.

(I could just be acting paranoid, though.)

I tune back into the announcement which makes little to no sense to me.

"…and as you all may know, we shall be celebrating Fernhood's 150th anniversary of becoming the capital city for South Mersary in about a month's time. I have lots of wonderful events and activities planned. Some of our best illusionists will be coming to perform, as well as musicians. We have even made arrangements with Crypton Scholae Elite Magicae to have a tournament between their most aspiring magic users." Oh great. I'll be out of here before that happens, then.

I look around again for the cloaked figure, but they've disappeared from sight. Hmm. Weird.

The Queen seems to be wrapping up her speech, now. (It wasn't _much_ of a public announcement, was it?) She looks down at the sheet of paper she's been reading from for the last ten minutes, checking to see if she's missed anything else. "I shall continue to announce the events for the 150th anniversary celebrations over the next few weeks, so please check the noticeboards around the city, and let me know if any of Fernhood's communities would like to participate in the celebrati—"

Someone screams from the crowd, cutting her off mid-sentence, and a black silhouette dashes across the roof of the building, whipping their hand out to send a stream of black daggers down to the Queen.

Without thinking, I raise my hand in the direction of the stream of magic and yell a defence spell at the top of my lungs. I feel a warmth grow in the palm of my hand as the daggers seem to hit an invisible wall just above the Queen and shatter, dispersing into nothingness above her head.

I blink and drop my hand, realising my impulsive action, and begin shrinking back as everyone turns their gazes to me—including Her Highness.

Oh shit. _Oh shit_.

I want to lie and say, "It wasn't me!" but that would be really, really stupid. (Kind of like when you fart really loudly in a crowd and try to make out it was the person beside you, when it was clearly you.)

Panicking, I go to run and hide, but as I turn away a group of guards step into my path—until they're surrounding me.

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit._

"I—I—" I choke out, trying to find words to defend my actions while glancing around as I search for a way out. Alas I only find that they've created an impenetrable wall with their bodies, and such a measly thing like me would not be able to fight against them.

People are already clearing out of the courtyard hastily, scattering like dropped marbles, frightened by the apparent attack on their leader. They gawk at me as they pass, some people even muttering, "Terrorist!" or, "Evil!"

Great. Just _great_. That's what happens when you do nice things, Rin. (This is assumingly why people become mass murderers.)

"Seize her!" one of the guards command, and two step forward from the group to grab my arms and bend them roughly against my back. I wince in pain, surrendering to my knees like the chicken I am.

But really, this entire ordeal is like—

_Hey mum and dad, just letting you know I was arrested today for being mistaken over attacking a royal person in Mersary. Yeah, no, I'm fine—I just think I dislocated my right arm; that's all. Tell Len to visit me in the prison, alright? It's literally right next door to Crypton._

(Now's not the time to be joking. But I tend to do it a lot when I'm internally shitting myself.)

They drag me back onto my feet roughly. "Take her back to the castle, and we'll put her into a cell until a judge can make a claim on her actions—"

"Wait!" someone shouts across the courtyard.

The head guard widens his eyes and turns to the voice. "Your Highness!" he greets, bowing. "We've captured one of the attackers!"

The Queen runs into my line of vision with two bodyguards following after. She frowns at the sight of me. "You must be mistaken! She defended me from the attack," she tells him, pushing past the crowd of guards surrounding me. "It was a defence spell, I know the kind—in no way could that harm me. Are you alright?"

"Supposedly," I answer offhandedly, a little taken aback by her actions. I thought she'd be like, 'Yeah! Execute the thing, even!'

The head guard looks confused, but orders for me to be released. I cringe at the sharp pain in my shoulder as they let my arms drop to my sides. The Queen studies me carefully, pursing her lips.

"What shall we do, Your Highness? The other attacker has escaped, and we have no leads," one of the guards state.

She shakes her head. "Send out some guards to patrol the city and ask for witnesses. If they're getting away on foot, they won't be travelling at too fast of a rate." Then she places a gentle hand on my aching shoulder—and somehow, the pain just disappears. Did she just—? "You can come with me, for now. I have some questions. Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

I gape at her, unsure. "A-alright."

The Queen smiles at me and leads me away across the courtyard with her bodyguards.

That's when I remember—she's the girl I ran into yesterday.

* * *

><p>hA. hA. HA.<p>

oooh man I tried to pace it the best I could but it's just really mhsdljhdshdjhsla. ugh. sorry.

GUESS WHO THE QUEEN IS? (_QUESTION MARK QUESTION MARK QUESTION MARK_ BECAUSE FFNET WON'T LET ME SPAM THE ? SYMBOL) five cool point for guessing correctly. (of course, I have to give her a role, too!)

this _might_ be the last time I update before I go back to school, and I really can't say my luck on how often/quick I'll be able to get the next chapters up since this year is the most important year of all and I can only assume that I will get 10 hours of homework every day and like three years of crying. (sigh.)

ummmmm Len's still not coming. (immature 12 year old laughter snort snort _coming_) sry. I am planning to introduce him a little later in the story, once shIT GETS REAL MAN. (by shit getting real, I mean... I don't know what I mean by that. hohoho-) yeahhhhhhhhh but don't worry, it'll all come to one.

anyway. let me know your thoughts on this chapter. only like 4 people reviewed the last chapter which was less than average so I'm guesSING THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE BORING? NOT ENOUGH ROMANCE FOR YOU? WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO THROW IN SOME INCESTUOUS BED TIME STORIES? NO? _DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK_. romance _is_ the second genre on this fic, so. (I think. wait, lemme check: it is.) I can assure you I'll make up for it later, but for now, Rin needs to do her thing before she is carried away by smutty love. she's too boss for that rn.

**SO YEAH. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW TELLING ME WHAT YOU THIIIIINK AND WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN (YOU NEVER KNOW i MUST JUST STEAL YOUR IDEA HA HA HA - JUST KIDDING) OKAY YEAH, BYE KIDDIES.**

**edit: OH BTW, I ADDED A NEW POLL TO MY PROFILE, PLS CHECK IT OUT AND VOTE YOUR ONIONS BECAUSE I NEED IT FOR UM, RESEARCH (shifty eyes) right, yeah, research. um. so.**

**edit (again): I realise I wrote Elfen in the chapter before but then changed it to Elven in this chapter, it's supposed to be Elfen (although Elven is the correct spelling supposedly but I am a hiPSTER). so I fixed that but if you notice any others that slipped me eye please let me know, ty!**


	8. Chapter 7

Five months later and I_ finally_ update this disappointment! Yay! Even though I spent all that time re-writing/writing chapter seven _it's still a plate of anus-quality, shit word and dialogue vomit soup with a dash of wtf-am-i-reading on the side_. (celebratory stressed sobbing)

Truly, I am amazed people can read this. Or choose to read this.

Well, enjoy this mass of very badly written text (though I'm not sure _how)_.

* * *

><p><strong>7<strong>

* * *

><p>She introduces herself to me in the carriage on the way back to the castle.<p>

"I'm assuming you're not from around here?" she asks, before holding out her hand formally. "I'm Miku Hatsune, South Mersary's current Queen."

I gingerly take her hand and shake it. "I'm Rin Kagamine."

Miku nods, smiling. (She's always smiling, isn't she?) "It's nice meeting you," she says.

"Um, yes—y-you too."

The Queen sighs to herself. "So, I suppose you're wondering why I asked for you to come with me, no?"

"Just… a tad," I answer.

She glances back at me, an eyebrow raised. "Do you have any idea of it, Rin?"

I hesitate. "Well, I assume it's something to do with what I did back there—obviously. But other than that, nothing…"

Apart from the fact I think you're just taking me back to the castle to shove me in a jail cell and be like _ha-ha, just kidding, I'm going to execute you anyway_.

(But I don't say that.)

Miku looks dubious with my reply, but doesn't press any further, remaining quiet until we reach the castle.

It's huge—made of white and flecked gold marble, pillars two times the width of me caressing its structure. Flora and fauna compliment the architecture, poking out of awkward and surprising places. The sight is almost… soothing. The air here seems clearer and cooler, too.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" the Queen says as she steps out behind me from the carriage, seeing me gawking at the building before us. "My great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather made it. It's been reevaluated and revamped since, though, as time has done its tricks to it."

Her bodyguards step in after us as she leads me along a path carved through a garden out the front.

What I'm wondering is how she knows how many greats that is. I couldn't even count them all.

We walk through a long corridor covered with glass-stain windows, then up a flight of stairs.

Miku seems to be concentrating hard on something. She stops in front of a white, patterned door, and looks back at me. "This is my office. I think it'll be better to talk in private." Then she nods at the guards, and they position themselves on either sides of the doors like statues.

I follow in after her. She takes a seat behind a large, wooden desk, and offers for me to sit across from her.

The Queen clears her throat and begins to talk once I sit down.

"So, do you know much about Elfen healing spells?" she inquires. "And the different abilities Elfen can develop? Like Norhsoean, there are different types—some are better at elemental, others with energy, and others with psychic. Elfen works like that similarly."

I press my lips together, surprised she launched into conversation so quickly. "I know more about the abilities for Elfen, but not so much on healing spells."

I'm trying to figure out what she's getting at—without much success.

"Well… the most common kind of ability for Elfen is nature—it's quite similar to elemental Norhsoean magic, but a lot more… efficient, to put it into words. I'm guessing you've probably heard of that already. The second most common is animal; that's pretty straight forward, is it not? The third most common is erkentic—like energy, but again, a more efficient kind of energy. Only about 2% of the Elfen population have it."

Miku twists around in her chair to pull a thick book from the shelf behind her and sets it down in front of me, opening up to a page with a diagram and the word _Erkentic_ as the header. She begins explaining how the erkentic ability is split up into three smaller categories—brain, body and spirit.

"Brain means control. Body means identity. Spirit means omniscient. It's believed the first king of the Elfen was spirit-erkentic—no one else has reports of such an ability existing, otherwise. So it's almost… mythical, in terms, however somewhat possible. I'm brain-erkentic. It's the most common of the erkentic abilities, however, still slim in comparison to the other abilities out there. Brain-erkentic is sometimes put under the psychic category; because we can do things like see into people's minds, and vice versa."

Oh great. Another mind-reader. Get rid of one, find another.

(I'm sorry, Kaito, I do love you—really, like a hole in the head.)

Miku purses her lips. "There's more than just mind-reading. We develop other aptitudes, like being able to control things with our minds. We have extreme intelligence, if you would say. We possess the skill to be in another person's head—almost like leaving our bodies and becoming another identity; however, not like a shape-shifter. It has its downfalls, though."

She flicks to the next page, showing another diagram with a lengthy paragraph of information beside it.

"When Elfen heal people, they use the energy from a person's, ah, 'soul', to put it into familiar terms. We call someone's soul the anima—the anima is the key to that person's existence. Simply healing a person means we can interact with that anima. Elemental may only feel emotions of that person, animal see important memories of their lives—erkentic could experience both of those at once, or could possibly tap into the magic stream in their blood. When they tap into the magic stream, a range of scenarios can occur."

Miku then begins to list how Norhsoean magic simply leaves a remnant of itself in our magic stream, like a tumour, and how sometimes that remnant leaks and mixes with our own magic, making us incapable of doing some of our usual spells.

"It can often weaken the magic until it's cleaned out by someone who specialises in this mixing phenomenon," she adds. Then she moves on to Warbeast and the categories under it, such as vampire.

"Warbeasts can cause body changes; it isn't uncommon for us to start taking on the characteristics of that person we healed. If we heal just a human, our magic may be weakened temporarily. Alatum, although their kind is now very much non-existent, had reports of causing euphoria or delusions with Elfen healers. And Caelego…"

She trails off to fix her eyes on me solemnly. Ah. I saw that coming.

"…is almost deadly. It's like a poison—if you strike a Caelegians magic stream, it makes you ill or drains you of your power. Sometimes it causes death—turning the healer to stone."

Miku shifts in her seat. "_Well_, only if you're weak and stupid," she adds indifferently. "Erkentic Elfen have to train specifically to be able to endure these issues when healing. It doesn't happen always, but often. It's a technique we learn to block the magic from seeping into our own magic stream, so healing is a safer process." She pauses, maintaining her grave expression. "I'm sure you know why I'm discussing this."

I drop my eyes to my hands, blanching as panic twists in the pit of my stomach. "I—I—didn't know it was so—I can't—"

She tells me to relax hastily and places a hand on my arm. I fall silent.

"Your secret is safe with me. I'm not trying to get angry at you—it can't be helped. It surprised me, really. The spell you used was Norhsoean—it's not that it isn't often spells overlap, but I assumed you were Norhsoean too."

I blink. "Are you going to get the Kalhan onto me? Is that why you're taking me back?"

Miku tilts her head, apparently amused by my question. "Should I? Why should I help them with murder? My nature is to bring peace, not take it from those who need it most."

Without thinking properly, I find myself asking how she knows she can trust a person like me.

She stares at me, an eyebrow raised. "If you were going to kill me," she murmurs,"you wouldn't have just saved my life, would you?"

I then snap my mouth shut, because she had a point.

The tealette fixes her dress and sighs wearily. "Sorry, was that information a bit overwhelming?"

"A tad. But… I understood it. Kind of. I get what you mean." I give her an uncertain grin.

She just smiles back apologetically. "I suppose it's not something you could understand easily considering you haven't lived here all you life. You're from Earth, no? Your parents decided to raise you and your… um, brother, there so that you could experience more than just Altar's lifestyle."

How did she know that?

Wait.

Never mind.

"Uh… yeah."

"I know your troubles," she tells me gently. "I can understand why you made your decisions. And I'm not like one of those people who are scared of the Caelegians. We are all dangerous, equally, in our own way—unfortunately, some people have been miseducated on this."

Miku stands and places her book back on the shelf, turning to gaze out the window which overlooked a courtyard located in the middle of the castle. "I can help you."

"Help me?" I echo.

She looks back over her shoulder. "Yes. Help you. Help you by teaching you what I know about Caelego, and to keep you safe. But under one condition."

What? Sell my soul to her? Clean her office? Kiss her feet? I frown to myself in thought.

"You also help me."

* * *

><p>Miku shows me to my room after our talk. "Lunch will be served soon, you are free to help yourself," she informs, before ducking away to leave me to the silence of the bedroom.<p>

It's certainly high-class—I won't complain. The walls are made of marble—actually, everything is made out of marble (or plants)—and the bed could probably fit three of me. Maybe even a small child horizontally on the end, too. There's also a personal bathroom, and yes, you guessed it—it's also made out of marble. I'm a little overwhelmed—uh, well, maybe a lot.

I perch on the edge of the bed and look across the room to the balcony window. This part of the castle overlooks some neighbourhood houses behind it; children playing tag on some turf nearby, completely unaware of anyone else watching them.

Completely unaware of the shitstorm brewing in the future of this place.

Miku had continued to elaborate on her 'you also help me' statement.

She got that look on her face Luka seems to get when she looks like she's about to launch into a century long explanation, and said, "There is a problem."

"Um," I'd answered, "yes?" (_Obviously_ there is, otherwise she wouldn't be asking for me to help her.)

She'd furrowed her eyebrows and sat back down behind her desk, and began to explain how the the current state of the law in Altar is not good—how the law is beginning to become corrupted, and tampering with bigger things—like magic.

"For example, it's tampering with relationships and populations of certain magic races—such as, obviously, Caelego. It looks like it could be taking a turn for the worst and wreaking havoc with psychic magic users, as well, as there has been a lot of tension regarding privacy and safety around psychics and the information they can access. Basically, the majority groups are very paranoid—and, frankly, I would not be surprised if within a few years' time similar laws are placed on psychics that are already implemented with controlling Caelegians."

Miku had paused and took a breath. "This is _one_ problem. But it's also creating another problem—making another problem worse. You know about Aether, no? And you know how Caelegians draw on the negative energy from it?" I nodded. "Well, all different magic types draw different kinds of energy from Aether. It is the ultimate source of everything; it makes up the matter of the universe. This is a basic sci-magi teaching in magic schools. Aether is a combination of all energies needed for magic to exist.

"However, when a certain kind of energy is not being used, it sets off an imbalance in Aether. This is what is happening with Caelego. Since Caelego is the only existing magic to use Aether's negative—or dark—energy, having less Caelegians using this negative energy means there is too much left over and it's building up. I would include Daemonia as well, but they were never originally a race in the beginning, anyway, so their contribution to Aether is insignificant.

"A similar thing would have happened with the Alatum, however they were not the only ones using cerebrum and posi energy—luckily, Norhsoean, psychics and erkentic Elfen use these energies as well. If psychics were to disappear, an imbalance would happen with cerebrum, since there are not enough erkentic Elfen to keep it even. We're already close to a critical imbalance with Caelegians, so if the psychics were to be wiped out, it would only exacerbate the problem."

Great. Wars, end of the world, energy imbalances—what's next, Grimm's fairy-tales coming to life? Me growing a third head from my kneecap?

"What happens if there's an imbalance with Aether?" I'd asked, though I knew the answer will probably be like _and Altar will explode into a million pieces, blah, blah, blah… and also death_.

(It just always seems to be the answer.)

Miku had sighed. "Well, no one knows—but we know it won't be good, anyway." She'd placed her hands neatly in her lap. "So this is why I'm asking for your help in return. You're a Caelegian—and one with their head screwed on, at that—so you would hold answers to solving this problem, at least. My ultimate goal is to stop the Kalhan from causing trouble with the psychics as well and restore the Caelegian population. I can't do that just by myself. And it seems you have a similar idea."

This whole ideal was starting to sound like Meiko and Luka and vice versa. It's probably true that Altar is going for shit—but why the hell does everyone come running to _me_ for help?

Can't we bother some _other_ poor Caelegian? Like, I don't know. I can barely find enough motivation to live, let alone assist in 'saving the world'. It's not like I'm proud to be this way—to be some dangerous _thing_ people fear. I didn't _choose_ to be like this. And frankly, if I wasn't Caelegian, I would probably be afraid of them like everyone else, too.

"So, Rin, are you willing to help me?" Miku'd questioned with a nervous beam.

She was offering me a place to stay—she was offering to protect me from trouble. Even though I felt like this was another repeat of Meiko and Luka's theories, and I would only be getting myself into a rut eventually, the idea of safety and a home was appealing. Plus, she said she would teach me things—and, well, that stuff could come in handy.

I hesitantly agreed to it. It wasn't as if she was putting me up on a pedestal like the others and calling me _saviour_. Miku seems… nice.

So, that takes me to the bedroom.

At the end of the day, I feel like I've done a complete 360 and ended up back where I started. But I guess, it's either _meet crazy people who think you're the messiah_, or _meet crazy people who are thirsty for your blood and want to stick pitchforks up your ass_. Though death is quite comforting for my poor soul, I think I'd prefer the first option.

At the end of the day, I think I'll probably be dragged into the whole end-of-world mess, and probably die there, too.

* * *

><p>Within the next week or so, which is spent mostly getting used to the… well, everything, Miku gives me very brief lessons about sci-magi and history—when she isn't busy organising the tournament thing, that is. When I pulled a face about what she was teaching me, she got quite defensive and said, <em>a wise magic user knows what the hell is happening, first.<em>

And, well, I probably can't deny that statement, honestly.

She corners me one afternoon when I'm helping one of the maids flower arrange, beckoning me into the hallway to talk. At first I'm curious, and then afraid because she looks rather serious. But it turns out she just wants to discuss the tournament with me.

"I acknowledge your brother could possibly be a part of the tournament, and respect that you'd probably want to stay out of the spotlight, but I need you," she tells me. "After that recent attempted attack, I'm being told to keep the tournament and myself under protection in case a similar event takes place then. I've upped the city security, however, I've still yet to have someone who can be with me at all times."

Miku looks at me with hopeful eyes, almost pleading in a way. "Will you be willing to do that for me, Rin? It only requires you to sit beside me in the grandstands and stand close-by during my speeches."

"Um…" I say slowly.

Isn't it strange she trusts me so much?

And what if something _does_ happen—what happens if I use my magic and make a mistake? What will happen _then?_

She continues to speak in my moment of hesitation—"I thought about the possibilities that we could try to avoid you being identified by, uh, people who might know you. I know a temporary spell which can make you unrecognisable to people. So, even if they do happen to know who you are, they'll just think you're a stranger because the magic tricks them into not being able to recognise your face."

I nod at the idea uncertainly. "O-oh. Interesting."

"It only lasts for a few hours at a time with minimal side-effects, but it's something, at least," she adds, hoping it'll convince me.

I'm still not convinced. But if she's so adamant about it, I trust she has plans for if anything _does_ happen.

"Yeah. Well. I don't know. If no one can recognise me, I guess it's fine by me…"

A relieved smile appears on Miku's face and she touches my arm reassuringly. "It'll be alright. I'm sure it'll be alright, but it's just in case." She then turns away to walk off, returning to her busy self. "Thank you so much, Rin."

I can only watch in silence as she hurriedly strides back down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Autumn gradually becomes colder, and colder.<p>

Miku said it doesn't snow until later in winter here; that it snows more north, obviously. But autumn is already cold enough for frost to form on the leaves of the many plants in the courtyard and on the railing of my bedroom's balcony in the mornings.

She leant me some clothes to wear, talking about how I'd freeze otherwise. Some are a little too big—but bearable. (And at least they're not like Luka's.)

The tournament is only two weeks away from now, I think. The city is already preparing—Miku has been very busy bustling about organising decorations and that.

Apart from her being so busy, in the very few hours she might have spare for a week, she tries to help teach me some more defence spells. Attack spells are supposed to come later, she tells me; defence spells leave less radiation, anyway.

I suppose I can't complain. Miku's nice. Maybe _too_ nice. And even though she's so busy, whenever I try telling her to rest instead of bothering with me, she _insists_ she teaches me something.

"Rin," the devil herself calls, appearing in the doorway of my bedroom. I glance up from a book about sci-magi throughout history to see her face. She looks a little unsure—immediately I know she's going to ask me to do something. As she does.

"I know this is a lot to ask you, but could you do me a favour?"

Yep. I knew it.

I raise an eyebrow, like, _go_ _on_, and she continues. "I've got some urgent information about the tournament here to deliver to Crypton Scholae Elite Magicae, but I'm extremely busy the next few days conferencing with other South Mersary leaders and can't find the time to drop them in."

"You want me to take them over there?" I ask, guessing the rest of the story.

Miku fidgets. "Well, yes please, if it's not too much to ask. I know there's a risk of you seeing your brother but you really only have to take it to the reception and leave immediately. It's only a 45 minute flight using a broom."

Ah, yes, brooms. That was another thing she taught me to do—flying brooms. _Yes_, like witches do. I'm not _great_ at it, but, it's something.

I think for a moment. "But how would I know which way Crypton is?"

The tealette holds up a finger. "I have one that I can give to you. It's like—it pinpoints your position on it, so when you're flying, you'll know whether you'll be going in the right direction or not."

"Oh. Okay." I look back down.

"So… it that okay?"

I sigh. "I guess? Do I have to go today, though?" I nod over at the window; it was too late in the afternoon, the sun would've set by the time I'd arrived at Crypton.

"Oh no." Miku shakes her head furiously at the thought. "If you're not too busy tomorrow, can you go?"

I shrug. The funny thing about Miku is that she makes out I do things in the time she isn't teaching me or bothering me in some way. But I don't. I just sit in my room a lot and wallow in self-pity. "Sure."

She grins. "Okay. Thank you _so, so _much, Rin. I'll—um, teach you an attack spell sometime."

Then she's gone, off to tend to her typically frantic royal duties.

* * *

><p>The next day I wake up early to leave. I figured, since it's a weekday, if I avoid going there outside of school times at all costs I <em>shouldn't <em>run into Len. But just to be sure, I bring a hooded coat to pull on to save me from getting into any sticky situations.

Miku continues to reassure me such an event would be unlikely as she sends me off. Not that it helps much, but, hopefully she knows what she's talking about.

What exactly I have to deliver is a bunch of paperwork, like maps and things—I'm not entirely sure myself, and neither do I have the nerve to ask. She hands it to me in a knapsack, then shows me the map she was talking about yesterday.

"That's you," she tells me, pointing to a glowing yellow dot on the paper's surface. She folds out the paper so you can see Crypton. "Crypton's North-west of here, so make sure you take off in this direction."

She twists me around so that I'm facing the correct way.

I don't even know how she knows this off the top of her head. I used to get lost in my own school back in Japan.

"Just go straight. The wind today isn't too bad so you won't get too off course easily, hopefully. Just make sure you check your position on the map every so often."

She looks at me expectantly and I nod to show I'm listening.

"Good. Okay. Just—there should be signs pointing you in the direction of the office. But, since Crypton Scholae is a big school, don't be afraid to ask for help if you get lost—that's if you don't chicken out," she explains, then smiles to herself at that last statement. She has my personality down packed—she knows how I'll probably just walk in circles for hours to avoid asking anyone for directions.

Unfortunately, everyone can read me like an open book here because they've protruded, quite rudely, into my mind.

It sucks.

"And when you reach the office just tell them you're delivering this for me because I'm extremely, _extremely_—exaggerate on extremely, please—busy with organising the tournament," Miku adds. She fixes my appearance—as if it would matter, knowing I'd have a new hairstyle once I reach Crypton—and nods her head approvingly. "Okay. You can go, now."

So, I leave.

Once I'm up in the air, I'm pretty good with flying a broom—well, I think so, anyway. Whereas, when taking off and landing? Not so much.

Big grassy patches to use as a landing strip in Crypton are scarce, unless I want to land outside of the city or in a public place—which, I don't, because that means more walking or being witnessed. I only come to realise this as I'm closing in on Crypton.

During my brief flying lessons, Miku told me it was a matter of practise to land cleanly, so for the time being to find something that would stop me from moving forward. Pretty much, she encouraged me to fly into walls.

Which I'm afraid I'll have to do now.

How glamorous.

I scan the town below for somewhere I can crash down into without gaining too much attention. It's kind of embarrassing, you know? Plus, the school kids are probably Einsteins at landing, so crashing just out front of the school wouldn't make me look very official.

And, uh, only but attract attention to me.

Unwillingly, I pick some trees behind the school. Trees are not the most pleasant experience, especially if you don't want a mouth full of leaves and possibly even insects, but I'm going to have to do it.

The things I do for other people.

(But she's agreeing to keep me safe so I won't complain.)

My descent back to the ground is short and painful. Miku taught me some ways to make landings less fatal by using spells to soften the landing, but I can only use so much of the spells because they're not Caelegian and are really draining in that sense.

When you use something not made for you, you're drawing from an energy source that you don't have access to. So, using something Norhsoean is like trying to get a fish to swim through air (not very good nor very possible).

It's very, very technical; not even I get the process, but that's possibly because I sometimes give up listening to Miku's droning about sci-magi.

My legs wobble on landing and I breathe a sigh of relief that I didn't break my neck while ungracefully cascading through branches. Picking several leaves and a caterpillar-thing from my hair, I set off eagerly to find the reception.

—Wherever that is.

But of course, of all the maps Miku gave me, she failed to give me one that would prevent me walking into a (somewhat magic-related) gym lesson.

I freeze when I realise all eyes are on me.

Most are not alarmed. I guess it's a pretty normal thing around here, random girls stumbling out of forests covered in plant matter.

"Are you alright?" a man, who I'm supposing is the teacher, questions with concern.

"Yes—maybe—no," I choke out.

The students murmur, watching with curiosity. "A foreigner?" someone asks and another responds with, "Yeah, they're one of those Earth ones—"

_Earth ones_.

I wonder if that's what they refer to Len as. If he's ever been called out for being an 'Earth one', though the name sounds kind of pathetic.

Suddenly I remember my proximity to danger and straighten up, fixing my hoodie onto my head. "Uh, I'm here to deliver something to the office," I continue. "Can you—um, point me in the direction to—"

Why are they all looking at me like that? They look like they don't understand a word I'm saying. Maybe it's not an office. Goddammit, Miku, why did you put me into this scenario.

"—the office-thing or whatever-you-call-it? Please? I just want to leave," I finish quietly.

The teacher smooths his hair back, hesitating. "Um… sure. I'll do that right away. Give me a moment." He turns away and barks out orders to his students, before beckoning me after him and leading me towards some buildings.

I hope he doesn't think I'm here to blow up the school or something.

(Well, apparently he does because he starts interrogating me with guarded suspicion as he steers me into a corridor.)

"Who're you delivering the message for?" he asks.

"Um—Queen Miku."

He looks dubious.

"I'm her… thing," I answer. Wait. No. That's not a good reply. I rephrase, "A… friend. She's really busy and she was wondering if I could drop this off because I'm not busy. I'm never busy. I have no life. Um." Rin—_Rin_. Stop talking.

The teacher presses his lips into a thin line, but keeps his eyes straight ahead. "What are you delivering?"

I hold up the bag she gave me earlier. "Stuff for the tournament. Like, I don't know. Maps or something? It's none of my business. I'm just delivering it."

He nods slowly, processing my rambling. "So you are a… friend of the Queen. And your name is?"

"Rin."

He looks at me, expecting more. "Full name."

I open and close my mouth, trying to think up a name besides… my name.

"Rin… Rin Ka—Rin Kamama—Rin— Rin _Ka_—" I stop short.

The teacher raises an eyebrow, uttering the words Rin _Ka_ under his breath questioningly. I decide to just go with it and nod frantically.

He sighs, unconvinced. "Alright." He stops walking, opening a glass door that leads into a well-lit room. I follow after him. A lady with fuzzy hair and wiry glasses sits behind a large desk, sorting through paper via a levitation spell.

"Tonio," she addresses, her eyes flickering to us once. "What's the matter?"

'Tonio' gestures to me. "Apparently Rin… _Ka_ has been sent here to deliver something from Queen Miku regarding the tournament." He fixes his tie and clears his throat. "I have a class to get back to, so I'll be taking my leave."

Wow, he backed out pretty quickly.

The lady sets down her papers and looks over at me expectantly, so I hold out the bag to her. She retrieves and opens it without hesitation. "Ah yes. We were waiting on these. I received news she would be sending someone over."

"Oh. That's… good." Well, I'm glad _somebody_ knew. It wouldn't be good if they started doing a threat check on me. Like, _hey Len, just paying a visit and getting felt up for weapons. By the way, I'm Caelegian. Happy birthday! _

I look around nervously, expecting said person to jump out any second, but there were no other students around. Still, there's no reason to wait around for him to appear. "I uh… think that's all I had to do. So, I'll head off now."

The woman nods, fixing her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she scanned through all the items. "Yes, yes, you may. Thank you very much, uh… Rin, no?" I nod. "Yes, Rin. You're free to go."

"Okay. Thank you." I slowly back out of the office and turn away, reaching for the door handle. However, I pause when I notice a large frame hanging on the wall beside me labelled:

_Students Attending Crypton Scholae Elite Magicae_

It was a collage of all the student's faces—presumably of this year's school population. I step away from the door to look closer, wondering if I could catch a glimpse of Len—

"Is something the matter?" the woman behind the desk asks, not looking up at me, but still aware that I'm standing there.

"N—no, no, I'm just… looking for someone I know," I respond hastily, although that probably sounds a little creepy. I hope she doesn't kick me out.

I run my eyes down until I reach the year level he should be in. It's in alphabetical order—I'm hoping he's in there somewhere…

_Len Kagamine  
><em>_Year 2, Norhsoean_

A warmth spreads through my chest as I see the name and his familiar bright smile.

He's changed, as expected—his hair a little darker, his face more angular and masculine to when I saw him last. Just seeing that—seeing he's, you know, _okay_—it puts something within me to rest, makes me grow homesick and miss him a lot.

I stand upright and rub my face.

It's just—I can't see him. I can't see him, not like this. He's safer, better off not knowing.

"Thank you," I repeat to the lady and she glances up, giving me a strange look.

Then I leave.

* * *

><p>I really tried to make this chapter less of a <em>meh<em> but regardless anything I write is pretty much _meh_ so yeah, apologies for that.

I'm trying my best to cut down on word vomit/dialogue. It's a gradual thing. Hopefully there should be less from now on. _Hopefully_.

My updates are pretty much very sporadic from now on because year twelve + part-time job = I want to get hit by a truck. Multiple times. I'm putting off my music composition draft as I type here so dear god, help me.

The last chapter of Bad sister shall be updated... soon. I'm waiting for beta to check it, and depending on how trash I wrote it, for me to fix it up. It may not be updated as fast as the other chapters because life is busy and I am dying slowly from the inside out.

Speaking of betas I am seeking a beta for Caligo and possibly my other multi-chapter shitty fics because Bad sister beta (whimsyappletea) is busy with school and doesn't want to/hasn't read Caligo anyway. So. Yes. I really need someone to check through Caligo and stab me for being shit because I can't even write my first language properly.

My only request is that you either a) have some writing available to show me that you are capable of correcting my dumb English language and aren't just putting your hand up for the lulz (don't understand why you would, but, still), or b) are one of those few people who I know are capable because you correct mistakes I miss in the chapter whenever you review.

I'm not so much looking for someone to come in and re-write the entire story (unless there are major loopholes/it's woefully cliché), because that's annoying.

And I'm not one of those people who'll pressure you into doing things, like, regarding you don't take six weeks to beta one chapter. Because beta-ing isn't that hard, unless you have to rewrite a lot of things/think my writing is anus-quality and have so much difficulty correcting it, I'd expect you to take at least one to two weeks max., taking into consideration there's a likely chance you are also a full-time student-thing.

Yep. S_o_ shoot me a note in your review/just a PM if you're interested in doing such an unrewarding task. It's greatly, greatly appreciated.

And leave reviews, as you do, letting me know on what you think about this abhorrent mess. (continues with celebratory stressed sobbing)


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